Pieces
by MusicGeek764
Summary: One eventful night shatters Wakko's life and memory to pieces. But, as he puts things back together, he realizes that things are more complex than they seem... COMPLETE! With bonus epilogue!
1. Questions

_Hey everyone! I'm back with a brand new story! :D I've really enjoyed writing this one, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it! As always, this story is fully complete (In fact, I just finished the last chapter today! XD), and I'll update every week, unless something occurs. Rated T because I'm paranoid, and for some stuff in later chapters. Also, this chapter's pretty short, but they lengthen as time goes on, I promise! :)_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own __Animaniacs__, all rights go to their respective owners, and I'm not getting a cent outta this. So, don't send the lawyer's after me!_

* * *

Pieces

_Run...Run...Run... Why am I running?_

That thought caused Wakko to stop short. As he caught his breath, he looked around. _Where am I? Los Angles? Yeah, that sounds right._

Wakko was confused. He had just been running, but from what? He knew someone had told him to run, but who? And why did his head hurt so badly? Wakko slowly reached his hand to the back of his head and found a lump underneath the edge of his hat. When he touched it, the pain spiked suddenly, and he quickly drew his hand away. Well, _that_ explained the pain, but how did it get there?

He took a better look at his surroundings. He was still in the city, but in a more residential area. He noticed he was right by a furniture store which had a mirror in the display window. He looked into it, and saw a toon with black and white fur, a blue shirt, a red hat, and white gloves. This toon, however, looked disheveled, scared, and out of breath. He faced his reflection and tried to get a grip on his situation.

_My name is Wakko Warner. I am a toon. I'm in Los Angles, which I also live in. I think Burbank may be the neighborhood, but I'm not certain. I was running from someone because someone else told me to. I've stopped now, but I'm not sure where I am. _

Another thought struck Wakko. _I have siblings...Where are they?_

Wakko turned and faced the direction he had come from. _I don't see anybody. Maybe going back will help answer some questions._

So, Wakko walked back the way he came, but found that he was having trouble remembering the exact path he took. After about 30 minutes of walking, he saw a water tower with a shield logo on it with the initials "WB". Seeing this rang a bell with Wakko, so he decided to head towards the tower.

After about another 15 minutes of walking, Wakko came upon a movie lot. He could see sound stage buildings, offices, and a security gate. The water tower told him he was in the right place, which also rang a bell with Wakko, and he was about to walk towards it when he suddenly noticed the cop cars, dozens of them. The flashing lights and sheathing sirens made his head throb so badly he was forced to his knees, his hands covering his ears in a desperate attempt to block out the noise. His head pounded, every light seemed too bright, every noise too loud. The pain was starting to bring tears to his eyes.

He stood up, barely opening his eyes and with his hands still on his ears. He was about to brave the pain and walk to the lot, when he got the feeling he was being watched. A shiver went down his back, and his gut was telling him to run away from here. Despite the headache, Wakko turned away from the lot and ran back towards where he had stopped. Every step made his head hurt more, but he ignored it.

Suddenly, he heard another set of footsteps behind him also going at a running pace. The same shiver went down his spine, and Wakko sped up, determined not to let this guy catch up with him. He didn't even risk looking back; he just kept going. His instinct told him not to stop, and he felt his toon abilities start to kick in. He heard the other set of footsteps fade away as he sped up.

He stopped soon, back in the same part of town he'd been in earlier. He was surprised to find that he was fatigued. Things might be fuzzy, but Wakko knew that using his toon abilities weren't supposed to make him this tired. He figured his headache was contributing to it, as it still hadn't gone away. Even though the sun was setting, it still seemed too bright, and so were the streetlights that where just starting to turn on.

He started to trudge down the sidewalk, every step intensifying the headache. Questions continued to pulse through his head. _What happened at the studio? Who was chasing me? Did I just imagine someone chasing me? Were they actually a bad person? Did I just run away from a source of help? Are my siblings okay? What do they look like? What are their names? Why can't I remember anything about my siblings?_

_ What happened to me?_

Wakko quickly ducked into an ally way between two townhouses, and slid down the brick wall, his hands on his head. He could barely remember anything, and trying just made his headache worse.

He felt his eyelids droop, and Wakko decided to get some sleep. _Maybe things will be clearer in the morning. _

Remembering he was a toon, he reached into his pockets, seeing if somehow he had bedding in there, and pulled out a small tan bag instead. He cocked his head. This seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember how exactly. He tried to, but his headache intensified again, so he decided to just use it and worry about it in the morning.

He opened it up and searched through it. It took a bit, as the bag seemed to go on forever, but he finally pulled out a blanket and pillow. Tucking himself into a darker corner of the ally to remain hidden and to block the light, Wakko wrapped the blanket around himself. Laying his head on the pillow, he looked up at the night sky and noticed the stars where starting to come out. A simple song suddenly popped into his head, and he found himself singing it.

"Twinkle, twinkle wishing star, how I wonder where you are. Up in space so high and clear, can you see me way down here? Let me pick the star that's right, and pick the wishing star tonight. Like finding a needle in a hay stack; eenie meenie minie mo and Jack. Wishing star please hear my plea, grant one wish, one wish for me," Wakko shut his eyes tight and made his wish as he fell asleep.

_I wish I could find the answers to my questions._

* * *

_As you've probably noticed, it's Sunday, and because I've got a pretty steady readership, you guys know that I normally publish on Saturdays. Here's the thing; I've got marching band stuff on Saturday's that last all day. So, from now until the end of the band season, I'm publishing on Sundays. I'll switch back come sometime in November. Tell me what'cha think, and I'll see you all next week! :D_


	2. Waking Up

_Chapter 2! :D First off, thanks so much for the great reviews! It's been great hearing everyone's thoughts! :) With this chapter, we see the return of an old OC from __Break Down__, if anyone remembers that story! XD Like with __Finding My Way__, I'll be calling back some to older stories, mainly my non __Wakko's Wish__ multi-chapter fics. Unlike FMW, I'm not putting footnotes explaining the shout outs, because I tend to get the same readers on all my stories, so I'm gonna assume you guys have read my stuff already! XD If you get confused, say so in a review or PM, and I'll clarify it for you. On to the chapter!_

**I still don't own ****Animaniacs****. I think you might have figured this out by now.**

* * *

_Huh, this blanket feels heavier. And warmer. And concrete isn't supposed to be this soft...In fact, it's not soft at all!_

Wakko's eyes snapped open as these revelations hit him. He sat up to find that he was in a rather comfy and large bed indoors. He quickly jumped out of bed, but regretted it when his headache came back suddenly, but briefly. He was about to open the door when someone else did so.

Wakko found himself face-to-face with a human man in his thirties where a dress shirt and slacks with an untied tie around his neck. He had dirty blond hair and his eyes widened when he saw Wakko at the door. Another bell went off in Wakko's head; he'd seen this man before, but it had been a while.

The man smiled warmly at him. "Nice to see you up and moving, Wakko. You gave me quite a scare seeing you curled up in the ally way by my house," Wakko cocked his head. So this guy defiantly knew him, but Wakko was having trouble remembering his name.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Wakko asked. The guy blinked as his smile faded, a look of puzzlement taking its place.

"Wakko, I'm Dr. Seth Holzer. I took care of your brother, Yakko, a little over a year ago."

"So, my brother's name is Yakko?" It certainly rang a bell.

"Yes, your older brother's name is Yakko," Dr. Holzer said very deliberately, the look of puzzlement growing.

"Yakko's the oldest? I had a feeling I was older," Wakko said, desperate to try to get answers.

"You're actually the middle child. You have a younger sister, Dot." Dr. Holzer said, looking rather confused at Wakko's questions. He realized that the answers were supposed to be obvious, which scared him slightly. _Why don't I know these things?_

"Wakko, is everything okay?" Dr. Holzer asked, looking concerned.

"I'm not all that sure," Wakko answered.

Dr. Holzer sighed. "Well, let's get you some breakfast, and then I'm going to run you over to the hospital and have you looked at." He thought for a second. "Have you hit you head recently?"

"Well, there's a bump on the back of my head, but I'm not sure how it got there," Wakko admitted and Dr. Holzer walked over. Pushing back fur, Dr. Holzer looked at the lump a bit, the pressed on it gently. Wakko immediately winced, and Dr. Holzer drew back quickly.

"So, it hurts when I pressed on it," Dr. Holzer said, and Wakko nodded in agreement. "Do you have a headache?"

"A small one. It was bigger yesterday."

"Any sensitivity to light or sound?"

"Yesterday would have been a yes. Today, not so much."

"Do you remember how you got this bump?"

"No," Wakko admitted, the thought for a second. "I just remember something smacking me in the back of the head, then someone else telling me to run, so I ran."

"You don't remember who hit you or with what?" Wakko nodded. "Do you remember who told you to run?" Wakko shook his head.

"Hmm...I may ask if they could give you a MRI," Dr. Holzer said, more to himself, yet Wakko jumped. _A MRI? How bad am I?_

"Well, anyway, let's get breakfast," Dr. Holzer said, and Wakko followed him out the door and down some steps.

It then struck Wakko that he was in a stranger's house with a guy who claimed to be a doctor who knows him and his family. Wakko looked at Dr. Holzer, and felt a sense of calm. He may not remember meeting this guy, but his gut told him that he knew this doctor and he could be trusted. Wakko quickly followed him into the kitchen, the promise of food tantalizing.

The first thing that Wakko noticed when he walked in the kitchen was a woman sitting at the table wearing pajama's with curly brown hair, sipping coffee and reading a newspaper.

"Hellooooo Nurse!" Wakko called out suddenly, feeling a smile come across his face. It quickly disappeared though when he realized what he had done. Somehow, it felt natural, almost like it was instinct. Much to Wakko's surprise, the woman was laughing and Dr. Holzer was smiling, like he had expected this.

"Wakko, this is my wife Katrina," Dr. Holzer said as Katrina stood up and shook hands with Wakko.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Wakko," Katrina said. "Well, I did see you last night, but you were asleep in Seth's arms. Nearly gave me a heart attack..."

"Sorry," Wakko muttered, still slightly embarrassed about her first impressions of him, both last night and this morning.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Wakko," Katrina said smiling, then gestured to the kitchen. "Help yourself,"

"You shouldn't have said that..." Dr. Holzer said chuckling, as Wakko quickly attacked the pantry, his hunger overtaking him. Wakko grabbed as much as he could carry, then went back to the table, where Dr. Holzer was holding back laughter and Katrina sat staring at the pile of food in shock.

"So, you're married," Wakko said, trying to jog his memory some more.

"Just for the past few months," Dr. Holzer said, and he and Katrina quickly exchanged smiles. Katrina went back to the paper as Wakko dug into his food. Suddenly, Katrina's eyes went wide as she read an article.

"Seth, honey, can you come here a second," She said suddenly, standing up and walking out of the kitchen. Dr. Holzer looked at Wakko, shrugged, and followed her out. Soon a fierce, whispered conversation started up. Wakko went to look at the paper, only to see that Katrina had taken it with her. Wakko silently got up and stood by the door, eavesdropping slightly.

"This isn't the way to bring his memory back!" Dr. Holzer whispered fiercely. _Who are they talking about?_

"He has a right to know! I bet this is the reason he has the amnesia in the first place!" Katrina countered, and Wakko suddenly realized that "he" was himself.

"We need to do it more calmly, more gently. Besides, we need him to remember his normal life first. He didn't even remember his sibling's names until I mentioned them!"

"And what if he finds out on his own? What if he sees a news report or something?"

"I'll instruct the other doctors and nurses to not talk about it in front of him and we won't play the news in his room. He needs to remember on his own."

Wakko saw Katrina nod her head out of the corner of his eye and he quickly went back to the table and started eating. The words he had overheard were still buzzing in his head. _What happened to me? Why are they keeping secrets?_

Dr. Holzer and Katrina walked back in, trying, and failing, to look natural. No one talked until Dr. Holzer mentioned that he and Wakko should head to the hospital. Dr. Holzer tied his tie, grabbed his white coat, and kissed Katrina goodbye. Wakko said his goodbyes as well, and they climbed into Dr. Holzer's car. Despite the fact that Dr. Holzer was keeping something from him, Wakko was hopeful that he could help him get answers.


	3. Repressed

_Chapter 3! This one's a bit on the short side, but it's pretty important. If you haven't noticed, I've categorized this under "Mystery" as a genre. It's not your classic mystery, but there's an element of trying to solve something throughout. I'm starting to realize that I'm going to slowly kill you all with suspense. Sorry, but I'm not spoiling anything! :P On to the chapter!_

**As you know, I'm not getting any money because of this. Which means, if the internet's correct, you can't technically sue me. :)**

* * *

"And this is where you'll be staying, Wakko," The nurse said as she led Wakko into the hospital room. It was rather small, as it only had room for one patient, but it had a nice view of LA from the window. "Dr. Holzer will be here in a few minutes. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah, can I take this dress off?" Wakko asks, gesturing to the hospital gown he'd been forced into for the MRI. The nurse nods, then leaves the room. Wakko quickly puts his shirt and hat back on, and starts to climb into the bed when something in the window catches his eye. It was a yellow water tower, with a shield logo on it. _That looks familiar..._

Suddenly, it hits him. _It's the tower from last night! _The memory of the movie lot, surrounded by cop cars, comes back to him. He remembered that the letter's "WB" where on the shield, though he couldn't make that out from here. _WB...WB...Warner Bros.! That's the Warner movie lot! _

More memories came back to Wakko: Running around the lot, going in and out of the tower, _living_ in the tower. _Warner brothers..._ Those words brought something else back to Wakko; a sense of familiarity and family. _Yakko and I call ourselves that._

Wakko turned at the sound of the door opening, and smiled as Dr. Holzer walked in, which he returned.

"Dr. Holzer, can I ask you a question?"

"Fire away."

Wakko pointed out the window. "Is that the Warner Bros. movie lot?"

"Yes."

"Do I live there in the water tower?"

"Yes, you do. I had you put in this room for a reason. I figured a view of your house might help jog your memory."

"So, I've been admitted here?"

"Yes, we want you here to monitor your condition," Dr. Holzer opens up a file that was in his hands. "As you've probably figured out by now, Wakko, you have amnesia." Wakko nodded. "The MRI proved what I suspected; you also have a concussion. We think the concussion, which stems from that bump on your head, is causing your amnesia. Luckily, we don't believe you'll have any permanent damage."

"So, my memory will come back?"

"Most likely. You might have some small holes, but it should almost fully return. Now, I'm going to have to ask you again; do you remember how you got this bump?" Dr. Holzer's look was intense, like he was expecting a specific answer.

Wakko thought for a second. "Nothing different from what I told you earlier; something smacked me in the back of my head, and someone else told me to run."

"You don't remember anyone who might have been there?" Dr. Holzer pressed, and Wakko got the feeling he was holding something back.

"No...Do you think I was attacked or something?" Something about Dr. Holzer's urgency made Wakko suspect this. His suspicions were confirmed by Dr. Holzer's widening eyes, though he quickly masked his face.

"Well, considering someone told you to run, there may be a chance." Okay, Dr. Holzer was _defiantly_ holding something back. Wakko was about to ask, but he got the feeling that if he did, Dr. Holzer would just lie to him.

"Well, I'll remember soon, right? Quite a bit of my memory's already coming back."

"I know, but I believe that there is something else blocking your memory of your injury," Dr. Holzer said, and then paused. "Have you heard about repressed memories?" Wakko shook his head. "It's when your psyche pushes down, or represses, a memory that it feels is too painful to deal with. I think you're unconsciously doing that to the memory of what happened to you when you were injured."

"So, are we going to work on bringing that back?"

"No. We're going to continue to work on the path you're currently on; regaining the memory of your normal life. Do you remember Dr. Scratchnsniff?"

Wakko had to think for a second. "It rings a bell...He's a p-sychiatrist, right?" Dr. Holzer's chuckle told Wakko that he was correct.

"Yes, Wakko, he's your _psychiatrist_. He works for the studio and will come in to do some work to help with regaining your memory."

"And can I see my siblings?" Wakko watched as Dr. Holzer tensed quickly, before pressing it down.

"Umm...We're going to wait a bit, let your memory come back some more," Dr. Holzer said quickly, not looking at Wakko as he said so. This struck Wakko as odd. If they were trying to regain his memory, he figured they'd let him see his siblings. _What is he hiding?_

"Well, you'll see Dr. Scratchnsniff tomorrow. Goodnight Wakko, and I should warn you that you'll be woken up every few hours. Standard protocol for concussion patients," Dr. Holzer said, then left the room.

Wakko sat down on his bed, and looked out the window at the water tower. He attempted to remember more of his life, but all he got was a headache. He fell back on the bed in frustration, staring up at the ceiling. Most of his memory was one big blank, and he couldn't even remember what had made him lose it in the first place.

_Something bad happened. What else could cause me to repress that memory? _

In an attempt to take his mind off what might have happened to him, Wakko tried to remember more about Yakko and Dot. He didn't get much more than some pleasant feelings; even their appearances were nothing but a big blank.

It occurred to him then that they might have been with him when the attack happened. _Do Yakko and Dot know I'm okay? Are they okay? _

A nervous pit began to grow in his stomach, but he shoved it down. Worrying about them wasn't going to do anything but make him more frustrated. _Besides, I can ask Dr. Scratchnsniff in the morning. _

With that thought, Wakko got under the covers and went to sleep, hoping that he'll regain more of his memory in the morning.

* * *

_Next week's my high school's homecoming, which means the band get's Saturday off so we can get ready for the dance. So, as a little treat, I'll publish chapter 4 on Saturday! You guys get one less day of suspense! You're welcome! :) So, is Scratchy gonna answer Wakko's questions? What happened that night? And where are Yakko and Dot? Your answers will come...eventually. XD See you all on Saturday! :D_


	4. Familar Faces

_Chapter 4, and Happy Saturday! At this point, the chapters get, and stay, long. Also, Scratchy comes in. He's gonna play a pretty big role in this fic. If you remember from __Finding My Way__, I have trouble write in dialects. I'm getting a bit better with Scratchy's because I'm taking a German class, but you're gonna have to use your imagination! XD And, because I know you guys will get this, my German name is Claudia. :) (And, yes that was on purpose) Also, I've put a small shout out to an __Animaniacs __VA in here. First person to find it gets...bragging rights, and a shout out next chapter! (Let's go with that...) Anywho, on to it! _

**If you sue me for everything I own, that means you get my trumpet. But, that also means you're gonna have my band director after you. And you won't like him when he's angry! XD**

* * *

Wakko was surprised at how dark it was. He saw nothing but darkness, and heard nothing but silence. He started to walk forward when he felt a presence behind him. Turning around, he saw a shadowy figure with glowing white eyes holding a mallet.

Wakko gasped and turned to run when he felt the mallet smash into the back of his head. He fell to the ground, seeing stars.

"Run! Run, Wakko!" Wakko turned towards the obviously male voice, but saw no one. He got up to follow the command, when he ran into a clone of the shadow man. Soon, he was surrounded by these clones, and they were closing in on him.

"Wakko!" A different voice this time; obviously female. "Wakko, over here!" Wakko turned toward the voice and saw a figure in the distance. He ran in between two of the shadow men, dodging their mallet swings, heading towards the figure.

As he got closer, he began to make out the girl. She was also a toon, and looked like a female version of him. She was a bit smaller, the whiskers on the side of her face were higher on her face, and she wore a pink skirt and a flower hair clip holding up her ears.

"Dot!" Wakko yelled, suddenly recognizing his sister.

"Wakko, come on!" She yelled at him. Wakko felt a sense of joy. He was finally seeing his sister. He caught up to her and gave her a hug.

"Come on!" Dot urged him on and he followed her to a much lighter area where he saw a male figure. He looked almost exactly like Wakko, only taller, hatless, and wearing a large pair of brown pants with a belt. He grinned as they approached.

"Yakko!" Wakko called out, also recognizing his brother. He and Dot ran forward and Yakko wrapped them in a hug.

"It's good to see you again," Yakko said as they hugged. Wakko was excited. He was reunited with his siblings, and he was going to get his memory back.

Suddenly, it got darker, and Wakko realized he was alone. "Yakko? Dot?" He tentatively called out. He felt tears sting his eyes. They had been_ here_, he had _seen_ them.

"Yakko! Dot!" He called out again, getting nothing but silence in reply. He was alone in the dark again.

* * *

Wakko woke with a start, and it took him a second to remember that he was in the hospital. He felt tears start to stain his cheeks, and yet he was happy. He knew what his siblings looked like, which was another part of his memory back. He was another step closer to being able to see them again.

A nurse came in and checked his vitals, then gave him breakfast, which Wakko quickly scarfed down. About an hour later, Dr. Holzer walked in and another man followed him in. This new man was much older, with a large, bald head and wide glasses, and a slight hunch in his back. Wakko immediately recognized this man. Psychiatry sessions, where he and his siblings annoyed him to no end, trips to drive-ins, circuses, and, in one case, a cruise. He got the sense that this man often wasn't often happy with him, and yet, deep down, cared for him and his siblings. Wakko felt like this man was almost a father to him, and his nickname for him quickly came to mind.

"Wakko, this is-" Dr. Holzer started, but Wakko quickly cut him off.

"Scratchy!" He yelled, then quickly leapt into his arms and kissed him. Scratchy sighed as Dr. Holzer tried not to laugh.

"_Hallo_, Wakko," Scratchy said, his German accent bringing back more memories for Wakko.

"It's so good to see you!"

"_Ja_, it's good to see you too," Scratchy replied, and Wakko could hear the sincerity under the sarcasm.

"Well, I'll let you get started, Doctor," Dr. Holzer said to Scratchy. He then turned to Wakko. "I'll check in on you once your session is done." He nodded to both, then left the room.

Scratchy pulled over the rolling chair and sat next to Wakko's bed. "Vell, Wakko, you certainly recognize me, _ja_. Vhat else do you remember?"

"Yakko and Dot. I had a dream about them last night, so I remember what they look like."

"You had a dream about them? Can you tell me this dream?" Wakko quickly went through as much as he could remember, Scratchy taking notes the whole time.

"Interesting. Do you recognize the shadow man?" Wakko quickly shook his head.

"Vell, then. Vhat else do you remember?"

"The movie lot, and living in the tower. And you, of course, and Hello Nurse. And there's a CEO..." Wakko felt himself struggle with the name. "P... Patterson, no... Paulsen, no... Plotz! His name's Plotz!" Wakko looked at Scratchy for confirmation, who nodded. Wakko smiled to himself before continuing. "And there's Ralph the guard, and we were all in a show together... _Animaniacs_?" Scratchy again nodded to let Wakko know he was correct.

"There were others on the show too... Slappy, Skippy, Pinky and The Brain..." Wakko starts listing off the names, memories of filming and sketches coming to mind. He grinned at looked at Scratchy. "I'm remembering! Everything's coming back to me!"

"_Ja_, you're making very good progress. Much better than I expected to be honest..." Scratchy trailed off, then his face took on a more serious look. "Do you remember getting injured?"

Wakko sat and thought for a second. "Not much; just getting smacked in the head with something and someone else telling me to run. I don't remember who or what smacked me, or who told me to run. I just ran until I stopped."

"Vhat happened after you stopped?" Scratchy's look was one that someone would get when they were faced with a difficult problem they were desperate to solve.

"I walked back to the lot, and... there were police cars everywhere. The lights and sounds gave me a headache, so I left..." Wakko paused, knowing that some detail was missing. "For a little while, it felt like someone was chasing me, but I lost them after a little while," Wakko looked at Scratchy, who looked stunned, and slightly frightened. Scratchy urged Wakko on, but didn't lose the look. _Weird..._

"Well, I ran back to where I had stopped before, then curled up in the ally way by Dr. Holzer's house. He found me, took me here, and here we are," Wakko finished. Scratchy looked at his notes, made a few more, then looked back at Wakko. He had lost the look, but still seemed to be on guard.

"I know Dr. Holzer believes that the memory of your injury is repressed, and I agree vith him, but I do have to ask; do you remember anything more about that day than vhat you've already told me?"

Wakko looked down and closed his eyes, trying to focus on that night. All he got was darkness and a feeling of fear.

"_Run! Run, Wakko! I'll be fine, just run!" _

A devilish smile...

Wakko gave a yelp of pain, and put his hands on his head.

"Wakko? Wakko! Wakko, are you okay?" Scratchy got up put an arm around the trembling toon.

"Can you be quieter?" Wakko whispered.

"Huh?"

"Please be quiet. You're talking too loud."

"But, I'm not talking any louder than I normally do!" Scratchy retorted, confused.

"Please!" Wakko begged while bringing his shaking hands to his ears.

"Sorry," Scratchy said, this time whispered.

"Can you turn off the lights too? They're really bright."

"Sure," Scratchy whispered, then did so. Wakko opened his eyes and slowly removed his hands from his ears.

"Do you have a headache?" Scratchy asked, and Wakko nodded in reply.

"You whispering and turning off the lights helped a bit," Wakko admitted, his voice also a whisper.

"Sounds like you have a migraine. Dr. Holzer's notes indicated he suspected you had one the night you were injured," Wakko nodded to confirm. "He thinks they may be a side effect of the concussion."

"I get them trying to remember that night..."

"They can be triggered by stress. You're stressing yourself out trying to remember," Scratchy paused. "I think that's enough for today. We'll continue working on regaining your memories of your normal life. Once that's done, we'll focus more on the night you were injured. For now, rest."

"Scratchy," Wakko called out as he turned to leave. Scratchy turned around and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Do you know what happened that night?" Scratchy sighed, and thought a bit before answering.

"Yes," He answered finally. "But, I don't know the full story and I think it'd be better for you to remember on your own." Wakko sighed in disappointment. "I'm sorry, Wakko. You'll remember in time." Scratchy looked guilty, nodded goodbye, then left the room.

Wakko laid back down on his bed, rubbing his temples. As glad as he was that he had regained more of his memory, he was still angry that no one was answering his question and that he still couldn't remember that night.

_Will I ever remember?_

* * *

_You guys know it's not one of my stories without a nightmare scene! And this isn't the only one, though the next one's not for a while! ;) Also, the migraine details come from a wonderful source; personal experience. Trust me, they suck. A lot. Anywho, there was another reason I decided to be nice and publish this a day early...Chapter 5 is going to be late. I'm sorry! XD Next weekend my band's going to a huge regional contest and we won't be getting back home until late Sunday night. I'm going to publish chapter 5 on Monday the 15, probably after I get home from school. I'm really sorry! But, in all honesty, I could have left you guys off on a huge cliffhanger, so I'm not that evil. Right? Hoped you liked this chapter, and I'm sorry the next one'll be late. See you next Monday! :D_


	5. Visits

_Chapter 5, and Happy Monday! Just to clear any possible confusion, Chapter 6 will be on time, meaning next Sunday. Also, the shout out to the_ _Animaniacs__ VA was when Wakko was trying to guess Plotz's name. One of the guesses was Paulsen. Rob **Paulsen** was the voice of Yakko, Pinky, and Scratchy. :) Congrats to fruouttamimind for getting it first and lyokolife6 for getting it as well! Also, I've said it before in other fics, and I'll say it again; I don't do death fics, especially in Animaniacs. Nobody's dying here, as I like my Warners alive. :) We're going to be switching perspective's in this chapter with __Wakko and Dot, which you'll know by a line break and me telling you which POV. Also, memory flashbacks are fully italicized, but with no line breaks, and sound effect words are bolded. This will all make sense soon! ;)_

**As fruouttamimind pointed out in a review of "Reality Check 2" (Yes, I read other stories reviews. I'm weird like that), Animaniacs is truly owned by Steven Spielberg. So, the show and characters belong to him and all that jazz. Please don't sue me Mr. Spielberg! XD**

* * *

_Dot's POV_

Dot followed Dr. Holzer down the hospital hallway. It had been almost two years since she'd last done this, but that time, Wakko had been with her, and they were seeing Yakko. Now, she was alone, and Wakko was the one she was seeing.

She played with her angel necklace she'd gotten on her journey to Atlanta, which had only been a few months ago. Opening up the locket charm next to it, she saw the small picture of her and Claudia, her old Atlanta roommate. They had made plans for Claudia to come visit Burbank, but after everything that had happened, she had to call it off. Claudia has seemed confused on the phone, but didn't pry. Dot had made a mental note to catch her up soon.

Her mind wandered to her last session with Scratchy, when they had made plans to see Wakko:

_"He's made lots of progress," Scratchy said. "In fact, he's been asking to see you, and I think he's ready."_

_"But, what if he asks about..." Dot gulped. She still hadn't been able to say his name since that night. Scratchy sighed._

_"He still doesn't remember vhat happened that night, and every time I try to have him remember, he gets a migraine. He still isn't aware that he's missing." Dot knew that Scratchy avoided saying his name around her._

_"So, what do I say if Wako asks about where he is?"_

_"Say that he vas busy with blog related stuff."_

_"He'll see right through that."_

_"You'll just have to try. I'll be right outside the door the entire time, so if it gets too hard on you, you can leave at any time."_

After that, she made plans to have her assistant manager run the shop that day, and here she was, about to see her brother for the first time in a while. She'd been pretty lonely the past two weeks, so she was happy to finally some family back, even if his memory lay in pieces.

Dr. Holzer stopped suddenly, causing Dot to almost run into him and snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Dr. Scratchnsniff's told you that he doesn't have much memory of that night, correct?" Dot nodded. "He's going to ask you. He knows something's happened, and that it wasn't good. He's desperate to find out. But, it's not going to be mentally healthy for him to know yet. You can't say anything." Dot nodded again, and Dr. Holzer knocked on the door.

* * *

_Wakko's POV_

Wakko sat with Scratchy, going through some memories of their days of filming when someone knocked on the door.

"I bet that's Dr. Holzer vith Dot," Scratchy said, getting up.

"Faboo!" Wakko cheered. Scratchy had told him yesterday that Dot was going to come visit today. When he asked about Yakko, Scratchy had quickly said that he was busy with his movie blog and was sorry. Wakko found this slightly suspicious, but didn't argue. He figured Yakko would come next time.

Scratchy left the room, and shut the door behind him. After a quick, whispered conversation, the door opened again.

Wakko watched as Dot slowly entered the room, her head down and her hands on her necklace. She slowly looked up, and Wakko wasn't surprised that she looked worried that he wouldn't recognize her. What he didn't expect was that she looked close to tears.

"Dot!" He called out, and he was happy when she smiled and quickly ran over to hug him.

"It's good to see you again," She said as they hugged. Then she quickly pulled away and glared at him. "But, don't _ever _scare me like that again!"

"Okay, okay, I won't!" Wakko replied, laughing, and soon Dot joined in. When they stopped, Dot looked a little shocked, like she wasn't used to laughing.

_She's smiling, but there's sadness in her eyes. _

Wakko quickly shoved the thought out of his mind as Dot took a seat next to the bed.

"How've you been feeling?" She asked.

"Better. I'm remembering lots more that I used to. Scratchy and Dr. Holzer said I might be able to go home soon!" Dot smiled, looking almost relived. Wakko thought for a second. "How's the shop?"

"You remember The Magic Closet?" Dot asked surprised.

"Not until yesterday," Wakko admitted laughing. "Scratchy helped me jog that memory yesterday when he told me you'd be visiting."

"It's been great! A local high school's hosting a drive for us, and we've had plenty of customers."

"Is it closed today or something?"

"No, I've got my assistant manager watching things. And we don't have clients today."

"Wasn't your friend from Atlanta..." Wakko thought for a second to get the name. "Claudia supposed to visit?"

"Yeah, but she got... busy," Dot said, and Wakko noticed the hesitation in her voice. _Don't lie to me too!_

"So, what's Yakko so busy with?" Wakko asked, and watched as Dot's eyes widen.

"What Scratchy said, movie blog stuff," She said quickly, not meeting Wakko's eyes. He noticed that she started blinking rapidly. _Looks like I'm going to try the question._

"Where you there when I got injured?" Wakko watched Dot's eyes widen.

"No," Dot said quickly. Too quickly. _Is no one going to tell me anything?!_

Dot suddenly got a look of shock on her face, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone.

"When did you get a cell phone?" Wakko asked, not remembering any of them having phones.

"When I opened the store," Dot said, then started texting rapidly. "That was my assistant. Something's happened at the store, and I gotta get over their quickly," Dot pressed a button, put the phone away, then gave Wakko an apologetic look. No, not apologetic; guilty. "I'm really sorry."

"It's fine. I'll see you soon, right?" Dot smiled and nodded, then got up to leave.

"Hey, Dot," Dot turned to face him. "Tell Yakko I said 'Hello', okay? And that I can't wait to see him soon." Dot nodded, and Wakko thought it weird that she looked close to tears.

* * *

_Dot's POV_

Dot noted that Dr. Holzer and Scratchy looked surprised at her quick reemergence. She looked up at Scratchy, and felt the tears start to spill over.

"Come on, Dot. Let's go somewhere private, _ja_?" Scratchy quickly lead her away to an empty waiting area, where Dot burst into tears.

"H-he wanted me to say 'Hello' to Y-" Dot still couldn't get his name out. "He kept saying his name, he kept asking," She suddenly felt angry. "Why don't we just tell him?! He knows something's up, and he's obviously confused! I hate leaving him in the dark like this!"

"Dot, you know vhy ve're leaving him in the dark. I don't like seeing him confused either, but it's what's best for his psyche."

"It's just not fair to Wakko. He deserves the right to know!"

"And he will, in time. How did you get out of there?"

"I lied. I faked a text saying something had happened at the store. I feel so bad about it..."

"Vhy don't we go home?" Scratchy said gently, and he and Dot left the hospital.

* * *

_Wakko's POV_

Back in the hospital room, Wakko was confused. He'd heard a quick, rushed conversation, then two sets of footsteps walk away. Dr. Holzer had walked in then, but Wakko had told him he wanted to be alone.

_So, Dot's in on this too. Scratchy and Dr. Holzer probably told her not to tell me anything. Why can't I know what's going on? Yakko would tell me... _

_Why isn't he here? It seems so out-of-character for him to not be here. Unless, something's happened to him..._

Wakko suddenly felt a flashback, as he had done a lot when a memory returned. But, this felt different; it had a darker feel, and felt almost forced.

_**Smack!** Wakko fell forward after the mallet smashed into his head. He got up quickly, stars dancing in his vision. Looking up he saw a dark shadow of a man holding a mallet and a pair of handcuffs that seemed to be dripping something. _

_Suddenly, the man fell sideways and in his place was Yakko, also holding a mallet. He quickly helped Wakko up then shoved him in the opposite direction. _

"_Run! Run, Wakko!" Yakko shouted at him. Still slightly confused from the whack to the head, Wakko started to comply, but stopped when he heard an angry yell that didn't sound like his older brother. Turning back around, he saw the shadow man start to get up and turn toward Yakko. Yakko began to back up, readying his mallet. Wakko began to turn around when he caught Yakko's eye. _

"_I'll be fine, just run!" Yakko yelled again, and, although he sounded confidant, Wakko heard something he never imagined hearing in his brothers voice; uncertainty. "We'll meet back up at the tower later." _

_Wakko nodded, then turned back around and began to run at toon speeds. _

_Run... Run... Run..._

Wakko suddenly snapped out of the memory. He didn't know how he knew this, but he was certain that was a part of that repressed memory. This had been from the night he was injured.

And he was certain of something else too. Yakko hadn't been busy with blog stuff. And Dot would never get to pass on Wakko's message to him. It all fit. The way everyone seemed nervous around him, the way Scratchy tensed and Dot seemed close to tears when he mentioned Yakko.

Something was seriously wrong with Yakko. And it had happened the night Wakko lost his memory.


	6. Into The Past

_Chapter 6! So, after that dramatic ending to the last chapter, I was going to make this a breather chapter. But, while I was typing this, I got this really great idea and...well...it's really not a breather anymore! XD I'm sorry, but you guys'll get your break soon! Also, in other news: Maurice LaMarche (VA for the Brain, among others) announced via Twitter this past Tuesday that the long awaited fourth DVD volume of Animaniacs is finally being released! It comes out in the US on February 5th. For other countries, I'm not sure yet, but I know it's finally coming. Now, with this happy news, enjoy the chapter! :D_

**I don't think suing a 16-year-old would look good to the press.**

* * *

"Something's happened to Yakko," Wakko's words had the expected effect on Dr. Holzer; he tensed up quickly in shock, and too late he went back to a more neutral face. This confirmed Wakko's fears; he had been hoping that maybe he misread the memory and everyone's body language, or that he had somehow made the memory up. But, it was all true, and Wakko was determined to get the whole story.

"What makes you think that?" Dr. Holzer asks, still trying to keep everything hidden, but the cracks were starting to show.

"I remembered more of when I got injured." Dr. Holzer doesn't hide his shock this time.

"How much?" He's breathless with shock and anticipation.

"Not everything," Wakko admits, then goes through what just returned to him. When he finished, Dr. Holzer sighs.

"I still can't tell you everything," Wakko sighed in frustration, dropping his head down. "But, I can tell you a few things." Wakko's head snapped back up, ready to hear about what's happened.

"Yakko is missing. We've got an official missing persons, err, toons report with the police."

"Was he taken by the shadow man?" Wakko still couldn't recognize the man, so the slightly childish name would have to do.

"That's what's the police believe, but they don't have any suspects," Wakko sighed. _If they can't get a suspect after two weeks, how are they going to find him?_

"This proves the police's suspicions," Dr. Holzer muttered, and Wakko looked up. "You were the last person to see Yakko.

"Is that why they don't have a suspect? Because they think I'll remember or recognize this guy? Well, news flash, that's not exactly working out," Something else occurred to Wakko. "Did Dot see him?" He had a feeling she was lying when she told him that she hadn't been there.

"She didn't get a good look at him. Apparently, she left the scene rather quickly."

"Do they have any leads? Any idea of a motive? Any idea if Yakko's even-" Wakko stopped short. Yakko _had _to be alive. He was smart, he'd figure a way out...

"Like I've said, I can't tell you everything, and even I don't know all the details of the case. You're just going to have to keep waiting."

Wakko let out a frustrated groan and laid back down on the bed. Yakko was missing, possibly kidnapped, and people still wouldn't give him the full story.

_What if I don't remember what happens unless they tell me? What if my memory's hiding the key to finding Yakko?_

Wakko was startled to find he was crying. The stress of getting part of his memory back, plus the news about Yakko, was pushing him to the brink.

Dr. Holzer quickly walked over to Wakko and gently held him while he cried, which continued until Wakko fell asleep. The day's events had worn him out. Dr. Holzer gently laid him down on the bed, silently wishing that the poor kid didn't have to go through so much.

* * *

The first thing Wakko saw in the pure black room was Yakko. He was standing there, hands in his pockets, grinning like he always did when one of their plans worked out. Wakko quickly ran forward, but when he got to Yakko, he disappeared. Wakko stood where Yakko had been, widely looking around, until he saw him again.

And the cycle repeated; Wakko ran to Yakko, only to watch Yakko disappear. He'd look around, until he spotted Yakko again. Wakko went through this cycle over and over, quickly losing track on how many times he went through it. He began every cycle optimistically thinking _This time, it's Yakko. I know it! _And the cycle always ended in disappointment.

After yet another trip through the cycle, Wakko tripped trying to run to Yakko. Hands and knees on the ground, he watched Yakko disappear again. He attempted to get back up, but found that he was sinking into the ground; he was already knee-deep and his hands had just disappeared into the black. He began to attempt to pull his hands out, but the more he struggled, the faster he sank. His arms, legs, chest, and soon his head sunk under.

After a brief feeling of suffocation, Wakko started falling. Caught unaware, he could do nothing to slow, stop, or cushion his descent. Screaming, he hit the ground face first, but he was surprised to find himself uninjured.

_I'm dreaming. Of course not injured!_

As he slowly got up, he realized he was at the Warner movie lot, though not in the current time; it was like he flashed back to the early 30's. He began to look around when three blurs suddenly ran by. They stopped a bit farther away, and Wakko was surprised to see that the blurs had been him and his siblings. They were black and white, except for their bright red noses, and they looked like they were in the middle of messing with someone. A guard, who looked very similar to Ralph, stopped right next to Wakko. Wakko tensed, but the guard didn't seem to notice him.

A black and white rope descended next to black and white Yakko, who quickly pulled on it. A piano, coming out of nowhere, fell on the Ralph doppelganger, whose head popped out, piano keys for teeth. The black and white Warner's ran off behind a building, Wakko quickly following.

When Wakko got there, he saw the black and white version of he and his siblings doubled over in laughter. He reached out to touch his black and white counterpart, but his hand simply went through him. Wakko pulled back quickly, slightly spooked.

Wakko realized suddenly that this didn't feel like a dream; it had a more concrete, solid feel to it, yet there was some fluidity. Almost like... a memory.

Before Wakko could determine if this was a dream or a long-buried memory, he noticed that the black and white versions of him and his siblings were peering around the corner of the building, looking for someone else to mess with.

Suddenly, black and white Yakko tensed and held his hand up in front of his siblings, their sign for "Wait a second, something's happening". Wakko, now knowing he couldn't be seen, walked farther out, where he could see two men standing by the ruins of the piano. The Ralph doppelganger must have been rescued from the ruble.

One man looked very similar to Plotz, only he was a bit younger, taller, and leaner. _Plotz's dad?_ The other man looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties, wearing grey slacks and vest, with a white collared shirt that had the sleeves rolled up past the elbows. His brown hair was cut short, and it didn't look like he had slept much recently.

"They got away again," The young man said, looking at the piano's remains.

"And it's your fault, Mr. Sanders!" Plotz Sr. suddenly yelled at the young man. Wakko saw that the black and white versions of him and his siblings looked angry, like they had been personally insulted. Their glares were directed at Plotz Sr. Wakko himself felt a bit mad, but couldn't explain why he felt this way. He didn't have a connection to this Mr. Sanders guy.

Did he?

"If you hadn't created those monsters in the first place, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Plotz Sr. continued to yell at Mr. Sanders.

"I never expected them to act _this_ crazy! If you would just let me talk to them-" Mr. Sanders started, but was cut off by Plotz Sr.

"No! Absolutely not! Not after you let _them_ out on the lot!"

"Sir, if you'd just let me explain-"

"You've had enough time to explain!" Wakko could hear Mr. Sanders mutter a "Yeah, right."

"And, frankly, I'm tired of listening to you! You're finished! You're fired! You'll never work in this town again!" Plotz Sr. screamed, then stormed off towards another section of the lot.

Mr. Sanders watched him walk away, looking rather shell-shocked. He then slowly sunk to the ground shaking, his head in his hands. He muttered something about "The economy," and "How will I survive?"

Suddenly, the black and white versions of Wakko and his siblings ran from their hiding place, and tackle-hugged Mr. Sanders. Mr. Sanders, after getting over the shock, quickly hugged them back.

"You're not gonna turn us in, right?" Black and white Dot asked.

"I'm not an employee of Warner Bros. Studios anymore, so I have nothing binding me to," Mr. Sanders replied, a playful hint in his voice.

"Are we gonna see you again?" Black and white Wakko asked, and Wakko found it odd that he was watching himself speak.

Mr. Sanders paused for a second. "I don't know."

"You don't think we're too crazy, right, Sanders?" Black and white Yakko asked. Mr. Sanders shook his head, smiling slightly.

"I think you three are perfect."

"But, you gotta say that! You're our creator!" Black and white Dot exclaimed and Mr. Sanders chuckled.

"Well, that's part of the reason, but I mean that 100%. I don't want you kids to ever change, got that? You three keep being your fun, and slightly crazy, selves. Promise?" Wakko noticed that Mr. Sanders looked like he was trying to hold back tears.

The black and white Warners jumped back quickly. "We promise!" They said together, giving Mr. Sanders a salute. Mr. Sanders chuckled to himself, before pulling the three into another hug.

"Wakko." Wakko turned from the scene when he heard the pleasant, female voice call out his name, but saw no one. "Wakko."

* * *

Wakko's eyes snapped open, and he looked at the clock on the nightstand by his bed, which read that it was a bit after 1 AM. He turned to the other side, where a nurse was standing. Wakko remembered that, due to his concussion, he had to be woken up throughout the night.

The nurse gave a quick sigh of relief when she saw that Wakko was awake. "I was a bit worried there when you didn't wake right away."

"Sorry, dreaming," Wakko muttered, sitting up slightly.

"Well, I let you get back to it. I'll be back in a few hours," She said with a smile, then left the room.

Wakko was left alone to ponder his dream. Or was it a memory? The second half sure felt like one. Was that back from their early days, back when they were first created? Or was it just something that his subconscious had made up?

_If it's true...That Mr. Sander's guy created me and my siblings!_

Wakko knew that, even before the attack, he didn't remember his creator at all. So, why was he remembering now?


	7. Brighter Days

_Chapter 7! So, we're gonna slow down a bit. This isn't a full on breather chapter, but's a bit slower than the past two. And, because some people have been asking about this, you guy's will get Yakko's side of things...in a few more chapters. XD Also, thank you so much for all the reviews and support! This is quickly becoming one of my most reviewed/popular stories! :D So, thanks so much, and enjoy the chapter! :)_

**I have a friend whose a trained assassin. She can kill you with books. Having second guesses on suing me? :)**

* * *

Wakko sat up in his bed. He'd been discharged from the hospital the morning after his dream/memory, and had been back at the water tower for a week. Being back home had helped with regaining some more of his memory, though he did still see Scratchy daily. He had also got some visits from old cast members. He had forgotten how intense Slappy could be until she and Skippy had visited a couple days ago.

He could tell that Dot was glad to have him back. She had been living alone in the tower for two weeks after the attack, though both Scratchy and Slappy had assured him that they'd kept her company. She, however, still seemed down. Yakko had left a void that was hard to ignore. The tower was emptier and a lot quieter with him gone. Wakko had noticed that Dot hadn't moved anything of Yakko's; his laptop sat on the corner of the couch and his bunk was still left in the unmade mess Yakko had left it in three weeks ago.

Wakko slowly got out of bed, and tried not to look at Yakko's empty bunk. Dot's bunk was also empty, as she got up earlier. He made his way into the kitchen. Dot looked up as he walked in, looking mildly shocked for a second. He figured, after being completely alone for two weeks, she still was getting used to having Wakko home. It was a happy sort of shocked, though; Wakko highly suspected that she woke up in a slight denial, believing that she was still home alone until Wakko woke up.

"Good morning," Dot said, and Wakko, still slightly sleepy, nodded in response. "How'd ya sleep?"

"Fine. You?"

"Fine."

Both knew that they were lying. Wakko, despite being back in his own bed and being told his concussion had healed enough that he didn't have to be woken up periodically during the night, had trouble sleeping. He often just dozed through most of the night, and because of that, he could hear it when Dot woke up and paced. They were both aware of each other's insomnia, but acted like it didn't exist. They had more pressing matters.

Wakko suddenly felt like he should ask Dot about Mr. Sanders. He hadn't told anyone about the potential new memory because he wasn't certain if it was actually a memory or not. Usually, some gut feeling told him not to bring it up yet. Today, he decided to ignore it.

"Hey, Dot," Wakko turned Dot's attention away from her thoughts as he sat down with breakfast. "Dose the name 'Mr. Sanders' sound familiar?"

Dot thought for a second before answering. "No," She finally said, but there was an undertone of doubt. "Why?"

"I heard the name somewhere, and it seemed to ring a bell. But, as we know, my memory's not exactly reliable," Wakko attempted a smile, and Dot gave a weak one in return.

"Might be one of the new interns. Their names always blur together. You could always ask Scratchy," Wakko nodded.

"I was planning on doing that today," There was a bit of silence, then Dot looked at the clock and said that she had to head to the store. Wakko said his goodbyes, and watched as she left the tower. After finishing breakfast he headed over to his computer and started working on his music. They'd brought him his laptop while he was at the hospital, and it was like he never forgot. It was almost therapeutic; he was able to relax and escape from the world for a while.

After a few hours, Wakko looked at the clock and noticed that his daily session with Scratchy started soon, so he hit save and headed out the door and down the lot to the office. He checked in with Hello Nurse and went into Scratchy's office, taking a seat on the couch by his desk. Scratchy looked at Wakko, finished typing something up on a computer, then turned to look at him.

"_Hallo_, Wakko. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Wakko could see Scratchy raise an eyebrow. Normally, Wakko would give some sarcastic response, like his shirt or his hat. But today, he was too caught up in his thoughts.

"Is there something on your mind?" _Of course Scratchy would figure that out._

"Yeah," Wakko admitted. "There's this name that's been stuck in my head, but I can't remember exactly where I heard it. Do you know a Mr. Sanders?"

Scratchy thought for a second. "No, the name's not familiar to me. Perhaps it's an intern. Ve recently got some new ones, so I'm not familiar with their names,"

"That's what Dot thought when I told her."

"If I hear it come up, I'll let you know," Wakko sent him a look, still not forgetting how much they've kept from him. "I promise, Wakko.

"Now, let's get down to business, _ja,_" Scratchy said, pulling out a file. "You've made good progress vith the amnesia. Now, do you remember anything about the day of the attack before the attack actually happened?" Wakko quickly shook his head.

"Don't give up so easily. It might look like a normal memory at first. Is there a day vhere it starts off normal, but doesn't seem to end, or it ends in a blank spot?"

Wakko thought for a second. Suddenly it came to him.

"There is one day that seems to start off normal..."

_Wakko sat on the tower couch, getting lost in his music. Or, well, he tried to. There was a pretty bad storm going on outside; the rain pounded on the tower walls. Yakko sat next to him, working on a term paper for one of his community college classes, occasionally wincing at cracks of lightning. Wakko still remembered the night when he discovered Yakko's fear of thunderstorms, which had been back during __Animaniacs__. He still hadn't told anyone, by Yakko's request. _

_Dot came into the tower, putting away her umbrella. "Hey guys!"_

"_Hey," Wakko replied back._

"_You're home early," Yakko remarked as she came into the living room._

"_Slow day; we don't get a lot of donations when it rains. So we closed early," Dot explained. "Ya know, the rain's starting to lighten up. And there are some nice puddles out there..." Dot started blinking really fast, putting on her "cute face". _

_Yakko looked up and listened for a bit, and Wakko knew he was checking for thunder. After not hearing any, he grinned at Wakko and Dot._

"_Ya' know, I'm getting kinda tired of writing this paper. And, Dot's idea seems like a good one," _

_In no time at all, the three Warner's where in yellow rain jackets and boots and where out of the tower. They ran around the lot, splashing in puddles and they took gleeful pleasure in ruining a cardboard cutout of Baloney. _

_After a few hours, the rain stopped, and the sun started to break through the clouds. Judging by the sky, it was early evening, which was confirmed by Dot checking her cell. _

"_Why don't we take a walk outside the lot?" Yakko suggested while they removed their rain clothes. "Who knows, we may meet someone interesting."_

_And with that tantalizing idea, the three Warner's snuck around Ralph and got out of the lot, heading a nearby park._

"And that's where it goes blank," Wakko finished describing the memory to Scratchy, who had been writing down Wakko's words. He looked at his notes, added a few more, then looked at Wakko.

"Vell, this is good. Anything after that?"

"No," Wakko said after a pause. "Just a few moments of black, then the part of the memory I already know..." Wakko tried to not go back to that night. It was still painful to think about.

Scratchy seemed to notice Wakko's discomfort. "Like I said, you've made good progress, und this is the only big blank left. I think ve'll focus on that more, but ve'll wait until tomorrow. Till then, get some rest. Goodbye, Wakko."

Wakko nodded in return, then went back to the tower. As he walked back, his mind wandered to the blank in his memory. He really wanted to know what it was, and yet there was a part of him that was scared of it. He was nervous about what it might hide.

And, for some reason, he couldn't let go of this Mr. Sanders guy, despite what Scratchy and Dot said. He was familiar somehow, like he had played a part in Wakko's life at one point. He could be their creator, like the dream had said, or it might be something else. Wakko, however, was certain that this guy was no menial intern. And Wakko couldn't help but feel like Mr. Sanders was connected to everything that was going on right now.

* * *

_Quick, shameless plug:_ _I, on Tuesday, uploaded a one-shot called A Little Bit of Adventure. I'll agree with what fruouttamimind said and admit it's a bit different from my normal stuff. But, I'm pleased with how it turned out, and the reviews so far have been positive. So, feel free to check that out! :) Anywho, thanks for all the support and see ya next week! :D_


	8. Happiness

_Chapter 8! This is in Dot's POV fully, and it's a breather, because I want to kill you with anticipation! *Insert evil laugh here* Sorry if it feels like this story's moving slowly, but things will pick up next chapter, I promise! For now, though, enjoy! _

**I'm running out of witty was to write this. Umm...BEWARE! XD**

* * *

Dot sat in her office going through some client applications. The small room was slowly becoming more and more disorganized as The Magic Closet, LA stayed open longer. Dot was starting to see why Ms. Maddie's office had been so cluttered; she already had thank you letters and art work from clients framed around the office. Paper work was also scattered, but Dot had enough sense to keep similar papers in the same piles. She was okay with the disorganized mess; as a Warner, she liked a bit of chaos in her life.

She got up and peaked out the door into the main showroom. It wasn't a client day, so she just had her paid employee's working on organizing donations. Everyone seemed to be on task, making small talk to help pass the time. With the exception of Babs Bunny, all her employee's where human. It's just how it happened to work out, and Babs only came when they needed extra help. Babs and Shannon, Dot's sarcastic yet loyal assistant manager, had been a huge help the past three weeks.

Dot walked back into her office and, after a brief hesitation, closed the door behind her. She usually kept her office door open, which told the employee's "Come on in, I'm free to answer questions or help out in any way". When she closed it, however, it said "I need to be left alone. Don't come in unless it's an emergency worthy of 911, or you'll have to call it after I'm through with you".

She took a deep breath, then opened a small drawer. On top of a manila folder was a picture frame face down. Dot slowly picked the frame up and flipped it over, revealing a picture of her with Wakko and Yakko. Her eyes lingered on Yakko for a second, then she quickly put the picture back. Blinking back tears, her attention turned to the manila folder. She took that out, then quickly shut the drawer.

She laid it on her desk and quickly flipped it open. Inside of it were newspaper clippings describing the night of the attack, as well as letters clipped from the editorial page of people responding to the story, missing toon fliers for both Yakko and Wakko, more newspaper clippings of follow ups, from saying that Wakko had been found to saying that the police still had no leads. Also inside where personal letters from friends and fans, expressing concern and saying that if she needed help, she could always ask. Everything related to the attack and the ensuing police investigation was in this folder, and Dot knew it was safe here.

Dot found herself going back to that night, to the confusion, fear, and feeling of loneliness. She remembered all the cops and their conflicting chatter. She remembered Scratchy leading her home, and how he had stayed on the couch so she wasn't in the tower alone that night. And she remembered the next day getting the phone call from the hospital saying that they had found Wakko.

She held back tears as she quickly put away the contents of the folder before she got too far into her memories. She quickly got up and decided to do what she always did when she needed to get her mind off of things; work.

She headed back out into the showroom and quickly jumped into the current projects. It was like being back in Atlanta all over again, and Dot felt her mind relax.

"So, Dot, how's Wakko?" Shannon asked about an hour later as she and Dot lugged two more boxes of donations out of storage. Dot smiled. Everyone at the store had been really concerned about her and Wakko, and had been really supportive.

"He's been doing a lot better," Dot said as they got back into the show room. "Being back home has been really good for him."

Shannon suddenly dropped her box to the floor and started at Dot. "You okay?" Dot asked.

"Wakko's back home?" Shannon asked. Dot nodded. "For how long?"

"About a week now."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Shannon exclaimed. Dot looked at Shannon, slightly confused.

"I'm certain I told you guys."

"No, ya didn't! Come on Dot, what are you doing here? Go back home! Spend some time with you brother!"

"But, the store-"

"I'll handle things. Besides, it's a slow day anyway," Dot began to interrupt again, but Shannon hushed her. "Everything'll be okay, and if something happens, I'll call you. But, nothing'll happen." Shannon smiled, then playfully shoved Dot towards the door.

Dot pretended to look mad, but shot a grateful smile towards Shannon before leaving the store and heading back to the lot.

When Dot got back into the tower, she walked into the living room to find Wakko asleep on the couch. Dot was glad. Both had been having some trouble sleeping, though they had gone on an unwritten policy of "If you don't bring my insomnia up, I won't bring up yours". Wakko stirred as Dot continued through the room.

"...Huh, Dot?" Wakko muttered sleepily as he looked up at her.

"The one and only. How long have you been asleep?"

Wakko looked at the clock. "A little over an hour, which is when I got back from Scratchy's." Wakko looked like he wanted to say something, but Dot decided not to push it. "Why are you back so early?"

"Apparently, I didn't tell Shannon that you where home, so she forced me here to spend time with you," Dot pretended to look annoyed, and Wakko stuck his tongue out in return.

"Are you ever going to learn to keep your tongue inside your mouth?" Dot asked, half sarcastic.

"Nope!" Wakko gave a triumphant smile, his tongue still out. The grin faded when Dot playfully pulled on it, causing Wakko to go spilling off the couch and onto the floor. Dot was laughing so hard, she didn't see Wakko come up and quickly grab her around the legs. She fell to the floor with a yelp that quickly turned into giggles as Wakko began tickling her. She quickly shoved him off and both of them sat on the floor laughing.

It soon trickled off into silence. After waiting a bit, both Dot and Wakko looked at each other and realized the same thing; they had been waiting for Yakko to join them. The silence became uneasy.

"Ya' know, I don't think Yakko would want us to be this sad," Wakko said suddenly, and Dot looked up. Wakko had a thoughtful look on his face and was looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"So... Tag! You're it!" Wakko yelled suddenly, giving Dot a small poke, before running off.

Dot sat there for a second in stunned silence, caught completely unaware by her brother's actions. Then, what Wakko had done fully hit her, and she turned to the direction he had run off towards.

"Oh, no you didn't!" Dot yelled angrily, though the playfulness in her tone was evident. "You get back here!" She called out, getting up and chasing him down.

_Wakko was right. I need to lighten up a bit. Yakko wouldn't want me to be so sad._

* * *

_So, yesterday was marching band championships for my local area (We got 2nd in out class! :D). My bands not going to Nationals this year, due to a trip to Disney World, which means that my marching band season is done. :( As sad as that is for me, it also means that my Saturday's are open again. So, starting with chapter 9, I'll go back to updating on Saturdays. See you guys then! :D_


	9. To The Surface

_Chapter 9, and happy Saturday! This is a big, long, dramatic chapter, fair warning, fully in Wakko's POV__. So, I'm gonna shut up now, and let you guys read. :)_

**You don't really want to sue me, you just think you do.**

* * *

"Hello Nurse!" Wakko yelled as he came into Scratchy's office. Hello Nurse gave a surprised giggle. It had been a while sence Wakko had used his old greeting, but Wakko was in a great mood. He and Dot had actually had some fun last night, just like old times. It wasn't quite the same without Yakko, but Wakko knew that what he said last night was true; Yakko wouldn't want them to be moping around and sad without him. He also had the feeling that Yakko was still alive and out there, somewhere. They'd see him again, hopefully soon.

"You can go in," Hello Nurse said, bracing herself slightly, like she was expecting a kiss. Wakko, however, decided not to today, thinking that his sudden snap back into normalcy had been enough of a shock for her today. _Tomorrow, however..._

Wakko decided that Scratchy shouldn't be left out of the fun, so Wakko pictured himself inside one of Scratchy's desk drawers. His toon powers kicked in, and soon he found himself in a cramped, enclosed, dark area. He felt a tug on something outside and Wakko got himself ready as light started to pour in.

"Hiya, Scratchy!" Wakko yelled, popping out of the drawer. Scratchy yelped in surprise and jumped out of his chair. Wakko watched his face morph into a combo of surprise and annoyance.

"Vell, Wakko, I'll admit it's kind of nice to see you acting like your zany self again..." Scratchy gasped out, his breathing still heavy, and Wakko giggled. "But, I thought I told you! No more monkey business!"

"I forgot," Wakko said, then started laughing at his own joke. Scratchy looked confused for a second, then sighed as he got it. However, his face soon morphed into a smile.

"I still stand by vhat I said earlier; it's nice to see you acting like yourself again. Vhat brings the sudden change in mood?"

"I realized that Yakko wouldn't want me and Dot to be all sad even though he's not here, so Dot and I played tag last night," Scratchy chuckled to himself as Wakko made his way over to the couch.

"Vait a second, Wakko," Wakko looked at Scratchy, confused. "Ve're going to go on a valk today. It's such a nice day out."

Wakko had a feeling that Scratchy had something else planned, but he was a p-sychiatrist. Of course he'd have another motive. Wakko decided to play along.

Wakko and Scratchy walked out of the office and towards the gate. When Ralph saw them approach, he raised an eyebrow.

"Uhhh," He started to say, looking at Wakko, but Scratchy cut him off.

"He's vith me, und Plotz said I could let him out of the lot." Ralph nodded, and let them through, still looking confused. Then again, he always looked that way. Wakko swore he heard Scratchy mutter under his breath. "It's not like they don't get out vith out you knowing anyway..." and Wakko had to suppress a chuckle. They walked across the street and into a park.

_This place feels kinda familiar...But, not in a good way. _

Wakko looked up at Scratchy, who was looking straight ahead. "Why are we here?" Scratchy didn't answer, and almost looked a little guilty.

Wakko kept walking forward, but stopped when he realized Scratchy wasn't following him. When he looked back, Scratchy urged him forward, still looking guilty.

Wakko turned back around, and spotted a tree. It was old and gnarled, with low, large branches that look like they'd be good for climbing. It seemed to ring a bell, so Wakko walked toward it. Once he was close enough, he reached out and put his hand on the trunk. He inhaled sharply as something suddenly came to him.

_Wakko walked with Yakko and Dot towards the park. The three looked around, until Wakko spotted a human man standing underneath a large, gnarled tree. His head was bent down and covered by shadows, and he seemed to be looking at his fingers, but Wakko could feel the man's eyes on him. _

"_What's his problem?" Wakko wondered, pointing to the man to clarify things for Yakko and Dot. _

"_Well, sibs, let's find out," Yakko said, and the three ran up to him. _

"_Hello Nurse!" Dot called out as they ran up, and Wakko could see why. He was young, though it was hard to tell exactly how old he was due to his head being in the shadows. He was dressed in a black t-shirt with dark blue jeans. _

"_Ah, ah, ah," Yakko said, holding his sister down. "No bad boys for you." Dot stuck his tongue out at him and pouted. "No, offence, sir, but you're giving 'bad boy' vibes."_

_The man just chuckled slightly to himself. "Hey, look, he can smile," Yakko deadpanned. "So, allow us to introduce ourselves!"_

"_We're the Warner Brothers!" Yakko and Wakko called out together._

"_And the Warner Sister!" Dot added. _

"_I'm Yakko!"_

"_I'm Wakko!"_

"_And I'm cute!" Dot said, then cowered under Yakko and Wakko's glares. "But, you can call me Dot," She added quickly, blushing slightly._

"_We're lucky she didn't sing that song," Wakko muttered._

"_I know who you three are," The man spoke suddenly in a gruff voice. _

"_Well, he speaks," Yakko said, raising an eyebrow. He was about to go on, but the shadow man, which is what Wakko had started calling him in his head, spoke again._

"_I know who you three are," The shadow man repeated. "And I'm not happy with you three."_

_Wakko and his siblings looked at each other and shrugged. _

"_Care to elaborate?" Yakko asked. _

_The man looked up, and the first thing Wakko noticed is that his steel grey eyes were hard. His square jaw was set and he looked a lot more muscular than they originally thought. He took a black backpack off his shoulders, which Wakko didn't notice due to it blending into his sleeves, and unzipped it. _

"_No," He said, his voice firm. A devilish smile formed on his face. "But I can show you." _

_Suddenly, he pulled a toon's mallet, and aimed it right at Yakko's head. _

"_Duck and cover!" Yakko yelled, and the three rolled out-of-the-way. "Mallet's out," Yakko ordered, and Wakko and Dot complied._

_The man cursed, and then pulled something metal out of the backpack and clipped it on his belt loop. He set his sights on them, and charged. _

"_Split up!" Yakko called out. Dot took off back towards the lot, while Yakko went in the opposite direction. Wakko stood still, dodged the shadow man's next mallet swing by rolling forward between his legs, then quickly smacked him in the back. The man stumbled in shock, and Wakko took the opportunity to run back toward the tree. Acting on instinct, he climbed up the tree and began watching the scene unfold. _

_Dot was heading back towards the lot, and hopefully she'd get help. Yakko had ducked into an ally way, waiting for a chance to sprint out. The shadow man had gotten over the blow to his back and was now looking around, attempting to find one of them. _

_Wakko wondered why he was so set on hurting them, and why he was mad at them. They never tried to make someone mad unless they were provoked first, which, until recently, this man hadn't done. Wakko was itching to get some revenge, but he needed to get out of here first. The shadow man was too violent to deal with right now. _

_The shadow man turned towards the lot, then began walking towards it. Wakko could no longer see Dot, so he assumed that she was either hiding, or had gotten back to the lot. He had to hope one of those two things where true. _

_He quietly snuck down the tree, and decided to head towards Yakko. They could outmatch him together. The split up had been merely to confuse him, and they knew that. After that, they were to either meet up and give the guy a piece of their mind, or go get help. He agreed with Dot's idea of getting help. He just hoped that he and Yakko could hold him off until Dot got back. _

_Wakko began running, and as he did so, made eye contact with Yakko. They nodded to each other, both understanding the plan. Suddenly, Yakko's eyes widened and he looked like he was about to yell out to Wakko._

_**Smack!**__ Wakko fell forward after the mallet smashed into his head. He got up quickly, stars dancing in his vision. Looking up he saw the shadow man, holding his mallet and a pair of handcuffs that seemed to be dripping something. _

_Suddenly, the shadow man fell sideways and in his place was Yakko, still holding his mallet. He quickly helped Wakko up then shoved him in the opposite direction. _

"_Run! Run, Wakko!" Yakko shouted at him. Still slightly confused from the whack to the head, Wakko started to comply, but stopped when he heard an angry yell that didn't sound like his older brother. Turning back around, he saw the shadow man start to get up and turn toward Yakko. Yakko began to back up, readying his mallet. Wakko began to turn around when he caught Yakko's eye. _

"_I'll be fine, just run!" Yakko yelled again, and, although he sounded confidant, Wakko heard something he never imagined hearing in his brother's voice; uncertainty. "We'll meet back up at the tower later." _

_Wakko nodded, then turned back around and began to run at toon speeds. _

_Run... Run... Run..._

Wakko snapped out of the memory, tears stinging his eyes and his breathing heavy. _That_ was the full repressed memory, and this had been the park it all occurred in. He looked up at the tree and quickly backed away from it, as though it was poison.

He heard footsteps walking quickly over to him. _No..._ Wakko waited until the footsteps where closer, then suddenly pulled out his mallet and swung.

"Hey!" Scratchy yelled, dodging the mallet swing just in time. Wakko blinked and quickly recognized his target.

"I'm so sorry!" He cried.

"It's okay, Wakko," Scratchy said dismissively. "I take it you remember vhat happened that night?"

Wakko nodded, then was surprised by how much he was shaking They had all been _attacked._ And they all thought that the crazy shadow man had taken Yakko. It wasn't just a story anymore; this memory had proven that it was all real, that it had actually happened.

Scratchy quickly hugged him. Scratchy muttered something, but Wakko couldn't hear it.

"You knew that bringing me here would bring the memory up," Wakko said.

"_Ja_, I figured it out from vhat you remembered yesterday," The guilt in his voice was evident. "I, however, thought that it vould come back much more gradually. I didn't expect the vhole memory to resurface this quickly. Can you tell me the memory?"

Wakko began to go through the memory, and was surprised at how much better he felt getting it out. When he finished, he looked up at Scratchy, who looked grave, and yet slightly hopeful as well.

"Vell, ve now know vhat he looks like, so that vill help the police catch this madman. Ve'll have to talk to the police, und let them know all the details. They may help too," Wakko nodded, expecting that.

"We should tell Dot too," Wakko said. "She has a right to know what happened."

Scratchy nodded as he and Wakko began to head back towards the lot. Wakko began to worry about Yakko again. Now that he remembered this man, that fact that he probably had Yakko was starting to sink in.

_Yakko... Wherever you are, I hope you're okay. And we'll find you soon._


	10. Hidden Away

_Chapter 10! Another more dramatic chapter and a change of POV. And that POV would be Yakko's. ;) Let's see what's been going on with him lately. Also, if you're unfamiliar with the Greek myth of the Labyrinth of Crete and the Minotaur, you may want to Google that real fast; otherwise the beginning of this chapter won't make much sense! XD_

**Ancient Greek myths are public domain, so you can't sue me for alluding to one! HA! :P**

* * *

There he was. That man who kept himself so well hidden in shadows. He was walking around, dressed like he had been on that night, carrying the mallet and those damn handcuffs, the DIP sliding off them.

Yakko hid himself on the edge of a brick wall at the beginning of an alley way. He waited for the man to leave his line of vision, then he'd run and find his sibs. He hadn't seen them in a bit; he just had to hope they were still okay.

The man turned right, and walked out of Yakko's line of vision. Yakko looked farther down the alley he'd been hiding in, expecting to see a wall or another street. Instead, he saw the end hidden in darkness. Rather than risk running right in front of the man, he turned toward the black, hoping it'd hide him better.

He ran until he saw a brick wall and two paths, one going left, and the other going right. In a split second decision, Yakko went right, then took the first left he saw, and ran straight into a brick wall. He walked out of the alcove, still slightly dazed, and saw more paths and alcoves, all twisting and turning.

"It's a maze," Yakko muttered aloud. "I'm in a maze." He felt like he was trapped in the mythical labyrinth of Crete. As if on cue, he was suddenly wearing an Ancient Greek toga. He smirked slightly at his wardrobe change.

Suddenly, a pair of heavy footsteps materialized from behind him.

"If you're in the labyrinth, you gotta have a Minotaur," Yakko muttered, knowing exactly who his Minotaur was. And it wasn't some half-human, half-bull monster.

Yakko sprinted forward, trying to evade the heavy set of footsteps behind him. He wished he had some string, or a map, or a bright, neon sign pointing him to Vegas and showgirls, _grow_!

Instead, he made random sets of twists and turns, even hiding in alcoves until the man passed, then backtracking, hoping to throw him off. But somehow, the man always figured out Yakko's tricks, and began going after him again.

Yakko made a quick left down a path and saw an alcove branching off that. He hid in it and waited for the set of footsteps to pass. Once they did, Yakko would continue down this new path, hoping that the man would think Yakko had simply backtracked.

It seemed to work. The footsteps stopped for a second outside the path, then ran away from it. Yakko got ready to continue down the new path.

"Yakko!" A female voice called out suddenly.

"Dot!" Yakko yelled back, recognizing his sister's cries. His hands quickly flew to his mouth as soon as he said them. The footsteps stopped, then started up again, only this time coming closer. Yakko sprinted down the path

_Crap! I gave away my position! Stupid!_

"Yakko!" This time, it was Wakko's voice, the British accent ringing across the labyrinth. This time, though, Yakko didn't respond, learning his lesson.

_I'm still here, Wakko. I'll find ya soon, sib. You and Dot. _

He kept going, blindly taking random paths, and never stopping. The footsteps kept growing closer and closer.

Yakko suddenly found himself at the center of the labyrinth, which was one big black hole. He stumbled, nearly falling in, and then turned around. And found himself face to face with the man, his grey eyes emotionless.

Yakko backed away, and nearly fell into the black hole behind him. He had two options; either be kidnapped or fall. He still had no idea where his sibs where, as he hadn't heard from them since their cries. What would be best for them, what would keep them safe?

The man got closer, a menacing grin growing on his face...

* * *

Yakko gasped as he woke up, his breathing heavy. He hadn't had a nightmare than intense in a while. Yakko sat up and looked around the basement, double checking to make sure that everything was still there, that he wasn't blanking.

_Well, the good news is I'm not blanking. The bad news is I'm still stuck in this darned basement!_

Yakko slowly pulled the thin sheet off of him and got off of the folded comforter that he had folded to make something soft to sleep on. He stood up, double checked to make sure he was still in his normal brown pants and not a toga, and stretched.

This basement had been his home-scratch that-prison for the last three weeks. It was what you would call "finished", as it had carpets and dry wall, but was empty of furniture, save his makeshift bed and an old ladder sitting in the corner.

He went back to that night, right after he had gotten Wakko to run off.

_Yakko continued to back up, getting his mallet ready to swing. The man was now extremely pissed off and making his way towards Yakko. _

_Yakko was beginning to wonder what was taking the help that Dot had obviously gone for so long as he dodged a mallet swing from the man. As they dodged each other's swings, Yakko racked his brain for something that could point to this man being angry at them. He couldn't come up with anything, however. They'd never seen or messed with this man before. _

_Due to being lost in his thoughts, Yakko realized a split second too late that the man was aiming the handle of the mallet right at Yakko's stomach. Yakko attempted to doge, but fell over onto his stomach as the wind was knocked out of him. He attempted to get up, but was stopped when the mallet swiftly collided with his back. _

_The man kneeled down beside him and yanked his arms up. "Hey, hey, easy with those! I only have two of 'em!" Yakko yelled, but was silenced when the man unclipped a pair of handcuffs from one of his belt loops, which were wet with something. The man quickly slapped them on Yakko's wrists, and by the burning sensation he suddenly felt, he realized the liquid coating the cuffs was DIP. Yakko let out a scream of pain, but it faded as he felt himself start to black out. _

"_I was hoping for all three of you, but you will do for now," The man's gruff voice was sinister, and yet it gave a bit of hope to Yakko. His sibs where safe, and would hopefully stay that way. He had been able to keep them safe, and this thought comforted him as he slipped into the black._

The fact that he was still alone down here after three weeks meant that Wakko and Dot were still safe, which made Yakko hopeful. They had to have contacted the police at this point, so Yakko also hoped that there were people out there looking for them. He held on to these positive thoughts as he was stuck down here.

He had, of course, tried to get out, but this man was good. The door leading upstairs to the rest of the house-Yakko assumed it was a house by the size of the basement-was locked and the door, the knob, and the hinges were coated with DIP. The same held true for the small windows that sat where the wall met the ceiling. Yakko's hands were still burnt slightly from times he tried to escape.

Yakko's pockets had also been emptied. He assumed that this had happened after he was unconscious, as he had woken up in the basement the next day with all of his things gone. Not only did it make Yakko completely unaware of his location, but it left him without his mallets, anvils, pianos, and plot holes, which where his black circles he'd place on any flat surface and use to teleport. Even his regular items were missing, like his community college textbooks and even that bologna that never seemed to go bad. Apparently, he couldn't have any food source down here that wasn't given to him.

Well, there was one thing that had been left in Yakko's pockets; one of his paddleballs. The rest of his collection had been taken, save this one. It was also Yakko's oldest, and his first. Despite it being a toon paddleball, meaning he couldn't use it to open any doors or windows without the DIP melting it, it showed some signs of age. The wood was worn down slightly around the handle, and the red color of the ball was faded.

Though Yakko was grateful that he'd been allowed one possession, and that it was one that could be used to pass time, the fact that he had it confused him slightly. Being allowed to keep this had been only one of three humane acts this man had done for him, the other two being kept alive and fed.

But, why? Why allow him this? The other two things made sense; this man obviously wanted him alive, considering he had enough DIP to kill him, and because of that, he was keeping Yakko fed. But there was no benefit for the man to allow Yakko his paddleball. Though it held meaning for Yakko, it was just a toy to the man. He might have even gotten some evil glee out of keeping it from him. But, he had denied himself that possibility to give Yakko something that gave him a bit of joy. Why on Earth would he give Yakko joy?

Yakko started to play with his paddleball, when the door opened. Footsteps slowly descended down the stairs. Yakko knew what this meant; the man was bringing him food. Sure enough, once the man got down to the bottom step, he placed a tray that had a glass of water and a bowl of something that was steaming, which Yakko assumed was soup. The man stood back up and waited, staying behind the stairwell walls. After the night he'd been kidnapped, the only time Yakko ever saw the man's face was in nightmares. He'd stay there on the bottom step until Yakko got close enough to the tray, then he'd bolt back upstairs. Yakko couldn't figure out why he kept himself hidden; he'd already seen his face.

The first week or so, Yakko would bolt to the tray with almost the same ferocity as Wakko would, and wouldn't realize the man was gone until he was about half way thought the meal. So, he started waiting for the man to leave before he'd grab the tray. Sure enough, the man wouldn't leave until Yakko took the food.

So, Yakko again hung back, while the man stood on the steps. Recently, Yakko had been trying to get him to speak, but the man remained silent. After about ten minutes, Yakko decided to speak up.

"So, you're a strong, silent type, huh?" Yakko said, but the man didn't reply. "You're not much for small talk, are you?" Again, nothing. "I'll take that as a yes.

"Can I ask just one question, then I'll leave you be to go do whatever it is you do," _Probably kick puppies or something. _The man still didn't say anything. "Again, I'll take that as a yes.

"What's your name? I do like to know that names of my hosts, even if I didn't take the guest label by choice."

Yakko waited a few minutes in silence, then sighed. _I guess today isn't my day. Perhaps I'll try again tomorrow, if I didn't just ruin my chances of getting food. _Yakko made his way towards the tray and the man began going up the stairs. Yakko heard him get to the top of the stairs when he stopped suddenly. Then, he spoke up, in the same gruff voice that Yakko remembered.

"You can call me Mr. Sanders."

* * *

_Now, I _really_ hate to leave you guys on a cliff hanger like this, but there's not gonna be an update next week due to the fact I'll be out-of-town for Thanksgiving weekend. I'm so sorry! D: Chapter 11 will be posted on Saturday, December 1st. Again, I'm super sorry, but I won't have internet access during my trip. So, see you in two weeks and have a Happy Thanksgiving! :D_


	11. From Her Eyes

_I'm baaack! With chapter 11! For those of you who are confused over who Mr. Sanders is, reread the dream scene in Chapter 6. Still confused? Tell me in a PM, and I'll fill ya in. We're back to Wakko and Dot here, again switching between them by line breaks and me telling you who's POV. Don't worry, we'll hear from Yakko again soon. But, how will Dot react to Wakko remembering that night? Why don't we find out? :)_

**Seriously, don't sue me.**

* * *

_Dot's POV_

Dot was helping sort through donations when her phone rang. Pulling it out, she checked the caller ID to see that it was Scratchy.

"Sorry, guys, gotta take this. Be right back!" She called to her employee's, then walked to her office to take the call in private. "Hello?"

"_Hallo_, Dot, it's Dr. Scratchnsniff. Is this a bad time?"

"Not really. What's up?"

"I need you to come to my office, and quickly. It's very important."

Dot was just starting to hear the worry in Scratchy's voice. "Is everything okay? Where's Wakko?"

"He's vith me, and he's fine. I just need you to get over here. I'd rather tell you this in person."

This made Dot worry. Did this have something to do with Wakko? With Yakko? A weird mixture of hope and worry rose in her chest. But, if it was something concerning Yakko, wouldn't the police call?

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Do you mind if I use a plot hole?"

"Not at all. I'll see you soon, _ja_."

"Yep, see you soon," Dot hung up and walked out of her office and nearly ran into Shannon.

"What's up?" Shannon asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have to go back to the lot right now. Do you mind if..."

"I watch the store? No problemo. Is everything okay?"

"I hope so," Dot said, and couldn't help but sigh.

Shannon gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Keep me updated, okay?" Dot nodded. "Everything'll be fine."

Dot smiled in return, and Shannon headed back to the showroom. Dot then pulled out a large, black circle from her pocket and threw it on the floor. Then, she pictured Scratchy's office, then jumped.

* * *

_Wakko's POV_

Wakko sat in Scratchy's office as he talked on the phone to Dot. He was still certain in his need to tell her, but he was worried about her reaction. She wasn't known for her easy temper.

Scratchy hung up, then looked over at Wakko. "Are you sure you're alright? You've been through a lot today." Wakko nodded. He was still pretty freaked over this memory returning, and yet he was glad he finally remembered it. It had been bugging him for a while, and it was nice to finally no longer be in the dark about it.

"Dot should be here soon. She said she was using a plot hole," Scratchy said, and as if on cue, a black circle appeared in the middle of the floor, and Dot popped out of it. She quickly pulled it up and put it away in her pockets.

"What's going on?" She asked, looking concerned. She spotted Wakko, who was looking at the floor. "Are you okay," She asked, quickly walking over and hugging him. Wakko nodded.

"Wakko remembered the repressed memory from the night of the attack," Scratchy said, and Dot's head snapped over to him, her eyes wide. She then quickly looked over at Wakko.

"What happened?" She asked, breathless. Wakko took a deep breath and went through the memory. She nodded through the first part, as she had been there, but once they got to the part where after they split up, she kept her eyes locked on Wakko. Once he got to the end, she was shaking with anger.

"I can't believe that guy!" She yelled, getting up and starting to pace. "What did we even do to him?" She let out a frustrated scream, her face reddening. Wakko just sat there, watching her. She seemed to realize he was still there.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked again while walking over, her voice softer. Wakko was about to nod but stopped himself.

"I'm not sure. I'm glad I finally remembered, but I'm worried. We're still not sure exactly what happened to Yakko..."

"Have you talked to the police?" Dot asked.

"Ve're going there next. Wakko vanted to tell you first, though," Scratchy broke in, and both Wakko and Dot seemed to remember that he was there.

"Can I come?" Dot asked, and both Wakko and Scratchy nodded.

"Come on. Let's get in the car."

* * *

_Dot's POV_

Dot followed Scratchy and Wakko out to Scratchy's minivan. She was still really mad, and slightly shaken, after hearing Wakko's memory. She was surprised by how well he was handling it. He was obviously bothered by it, but wasn't showing it much. That tended to be how Wakko handled things.

As they climbed into Scratchy's car, Dot couldn't help but go back to that night, thinking about her side of the story.

_Dot ran back to the lot. They needed help; this guy wasn't just some annoying jerk of a person. He was outright attacking them, plus Dot had gotten a good look at the handcuffs he had, and had noticed they were coated in DIP. He meant business, he was prepared... this was premeditated. He had waited for them, and that idea shook Dot to the core. _

_Dot tore into the lot and straight into Scratchy's office. The Nurse-Dot couldn't bear to call her by her brother's nickname-jumped slightly at her sudden entrance._

"_Dot, what's wrong?" She asked, quickly reading Dot's facial expression._

"_Is Scratchy here?" Dot asked, frantic._

"_No, he just left to go home. Dot, what's going on?"_

"_You need to call 911! Some nutcase attacked Yakko, Wakko, and I!" Dot practically yelled, and felt very close to tears. The Nurse nodded quickly, and dialed the phone. Dot could barely hear the Nurses conversation with the operator, she was too in shock. She finally snapped out of it when the Nurse gently squeezed her shoulder._

"_I just got off the phone with 911, and left Plotz a voicemail. We need to go wait outside for the police." Dot nodded, still numb. _

_They walked out of the office, heading towards the gate. They saw Scratchy when they got up there. _

"_Dr. Scratchnsniff?" The Nurse questioned. "I thought you went home."_

"_I got a gut feeling that I needed to head back here, right away. So, I listened to it."_

"_It's a good thing you did-" The Nurse stared, but was cut off by a scream of pure pain. A scream that was unmistakably Yakko's. _

"_Yakko!" Dot cried, and she began to run toward the sound, which was starting to taper off, but was held back by Scratchy and the Nurse. She looked back at them angrily, tears spilling on to her cheeks. _

"_Dot, if you go out there, you may be hurt too!" Scratchy explained while Dot struggled. "Ve need to keep you safe!" _

"_But...Yakko! And what if Wakko..." Dot could barely get out a sentence, and finally just went limp, admitting defeat. _

_The police came soon after, sirens a blazing. Plotz joined them then as well, along with people to ward off the press that began showing up soon after the police. Dot somehow managed to choke out what happened and a search team of cops and a few dogs went out into the park. She now sat wrapped in a blanket one of the EMT's had given her after they gave her a precautionary look over. Scratchy sat near her, saying nothing, but rubbing his hand on her back in gentle, soothing circles. Dot appreciated the comforting gesture more than she'd like to admit. _

_ A few of the cops, plus an officer who was obviously their superior, came over to them. _

_ "Vhat is the news? Have you found them?" Scratchy asked, and Dot looked up hopefully. The hope died when the officer ran his hands through his hair and kneeled down to their level. _

_ "I'm really sorry, but we didn't find your brothers or the man who attacked you three," Dot held back tears, because she could tell this was hard on the officer, and she didn't want to make it worse. She, however, could still feel the despair. _

"_We did find evidence of a struggle, as well as small puddles of DIP," Dot heard Scratchy gasp. "We've filed a missing persons-err, excuse me-toons report that should hopefully make at least the 11 'o clock news. People'll be looking for them, don't you worry. We'll find them." The officer nodded to both, then went back to the other cops. _

_Dot suddenly realized that tears had been silently falling down her face. Scratchy gently picked her up. _

"_Let's go back to the tower, _ja_?" He whispered, then began walking away from the chaos, Dot still in his arms. Normally, Dot would only allow Yakko, and occasionally Wakko, to treat her like this, like she was little. She'd normally be walking herself, her chin, and her pride, held high. But, tonight was a special circumstance, so Dot let this slide. Just this once._


	12. Flashbacks and Files

_Chapter 12! And, we're switching around again. We'll start with Yakko for a bit, then switch to Wakko for the rest of the chapter. So, remember Mr. Sanders? You better, because he's rather important in this chapter. And boy do I mean it. :)__  
In other, though still __Animaniacs__ related, news, The Hub (Same channel that airs My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic in the US) will start airing Animaniacs reruns on the 24th! They've already aired Wakko's Wish a couple of times, plus a bonus short because the movie doesn't fill the two-hour time slot. With this and the final DVD coming out soon, it's been a great year for Animaniacs! :D_

**You're probably enjoying this story way too much to actually sue me. :)**

* * *

_Yakko's POV_

Yakko sat against the basement wall, keeping the paddleball going at a steady beat. **Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. **The sound was soothing, and it kept Yakko calm.

_Mr. Sanders... Mr. Sanders... _Yakko tossed the name through his head, trying to make some sort of connection. He couldn't come up with anything, despite the fact that he felt like the answer was right in front of him. It was mildly frustrating, which is why Yakko had gone to the paddleball.

Suddenly, his fingers ran over a grove he'd never noticed before on the handle. Yakko stopped, and looked, expecting to find a crack. Instead, he saw a faded engraving. He found it odd that he'd never noticed it before. _Hey, anything to keep the plot rolling!_

Yakko brought it closer to his face and read the words:

"To Yakko. I think you'll find good use outta this. Love, Mr."

The engraving stopped there, obviously having been worn with time.

_Mr... It couldn't be..._

"Nah, that's crazy!" Yakko muttered to himself. "There are plenty of Mr.'s in the world."

Yakko went back to playing with the paddleball, though he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his gut.

* * *

_Wakko's POV_

Wakko trudged his way to Scratchy's. Yesterday had been long and tiring, and he had slept to about noon. He was still caught in a sense of shock that the repressed memory had surfaced and just how shocking it turned out to be. He still wasn't sure the full impact of it had hit.

He walked by Hello Nurse and into Scratchy's office. Yesterday's toll was all over his face too, and, unlike Wakko, he didn't have the benefit of getting to sleep until noon.

"_Tag_, Wakko," Scratchy said sleepy. Wakko sat down on the couch.

"Vell, Wakko, do you remember when you came to me asking about a Mr. Sanders?" Wakko nodded. "I think I may have your answer. Mr. Joel Sanders is a janitor that vorks for the studio, though he's normally in another part of the lot. You must have heard his name in passing, and for some reason, it got stuck in your brain."

Wakko considered telling Scratchy the dream/memory, which was still as clear as though he had just recently dreamed it. But, for some reason he held back. This wasn't his Mr. Sanders; the one he had been thinking off had been back from the 30's.

It also could have been simply a dream, and this Mr. Sander's just happened to be the name his subconscious chose.

Wakko accepted this explanation, and the appointment went by apathetically, as both of them were too tired to hold anything resembling a conversation. They ended early, and Wakko went back to the tower, climbed into his bed, and took a nap.

* * *

Wakko slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was asleep in the middle of the lot. He was about to question how he got there, when somebody walked through him. Literally. Wakko looked back at the person, and quickly deduced by the way he was dressed that he was back in the 30's version of the lot.

_So, is this a dream or a memory? _

Wakko got up and looked around. He spotted a sound stage door that was cracked open slightly. Curiosity overtook him, and he walked inside. He was greeted by the sound of mallets smashing. He involuntarily flinched, though he knew that even if they aimed for him, he wouldn't feel it.

Looking over at the set, he recognized it as one of the old cartoons that he and his siblings had done with Buddy. He remembered doing those. It occurred to him that filming those cartoons was the only thing he could remember from his and his siblings early days. _Other things had to have happened... _

Buddy sat in the middle of the set, still dazed from the mallet hits, while black and white versions of Yakko, Wakko, and Dot stood there, listening to directions from the director. Wakko could see black and white Yakko say some sarcastic remark back. The director began yelling, only to be laughed at by the black and white Warners.

"Okay, take five!" Wakko heard the command repeated throughout the sound stage, and watched as the black and white versions of he and his siblings walk off set. Wakko quickly followed.

He watched them run and tackle hug a young man in his twenties. Wakko quickly recognized him as the Mr. Sanders from the previous dream/memory.

"How'd we do?" Black and white Dot asked.

"You three were excellent," Mr. Sanders said sincerely, and the black and white Warners grinned. "That director's a bit of a pain, though."

"I'll say," Black and white Yakko said. "Do ya think anyone will notice if we replaced Buddy with him for the next take?" Mr. Sanders laughed while shaking his head yes.

"Oh, please, Dadoo?" Wakko took a step back in mild shock at hearing his black and white counterpart call Mr. Sanders that. And yet, at the same time, he agreed with calling him Dadoo. It felt right, somehow.

"Charlie!" Mr. Sanders, the black and white Warners, and Wakko all turned towards a young assistant running over to them.

"Yes, David," Mr. Sanders replied.

"The Warner's are needed back on set."

Mr. Sanders looked over at the black and white Warners.

"So, _Charlie_, ya sure we can't put the director in there? Just for one take? We'll even make sure it ends up on the cutting room floor! Provided we get a copy of it first," Yakko barged, and Wakko could see Mr. Sanders give it some thought.

"WHERE ARE THOSE CRAZY KIDS?!" Everyone flinched as the directors shouts echoed over the sound stage.

"Just one take." Mr. Sanders promised, giving the black and white Warner's a wink.

"All right!" The three chorused together in response, gave Mr. Sanders one more hug, then ran back to the set.

* * *

Wakko woke up quickly, sitting up. _Charlie. His name was Charlie. _The Mr. Sanders that Scratchy had given him was the wrong one.

_Is that just a coincidence, the fact that there's another Mr. Sanders working for Warner Bros, only in the present day? Or, is there a connection? Did Charlie Sanders even exist? Are those dreams actually memories? Or are they exactly what they are; dreams? _

Wakko quickly got up and out of bed. Dot had a client day today, so she wouldn't be home until late, which gave Wakko plenty of freedom. It was time to do some sleuthing.

Donning a dectives outfit for good measure, he snuck his way into the administration building up to Plotz's office. He knew that Plotz and a few other administrators were away on business, so the office should be empty. He quietly opened the door a crack, and checked. Sure enough, not a soul. Wakko snuck in.

Luckily, Plotz was a ditz with technology, so he kept paper records of his employee's. Getting a paper file would be easier than attempting to hack one of the studio's computers. Wakko may be good with technology, but he'd never hacked before.

As he opened the filing cabinet labeled "Employee Files Q-S", Wakko felt a sudden pang of guilt. _Should I really be looking through employee files? ...I'll only touch the one's labeled Sanders, and nothing else. _

With his guilt resolved, Wakko fully opened the cabinet. He went towards the back for the S's, and found "Sanders, Joel", but no "Sanders, Charlie". It made sense-why would Plotz have records on an employee from the 30's?- but Wakko was slightly disheartened.

_I wonder if my file has anything._

And with this thought, Wakko went to the bottom filing cabinet, labeled "Employee Files W-Z", and quickly found his file. After a slight hesitation, he grabbed Yakko's, which was right behind his. Wakko couldn't explain what drove him to pick up his brothers, but he opened that one first. He immediately saw Yakko's missing toon's flyer, and some case stuff. A pang of sadness went through Wakko.

"Come on, Wakko. You don't need to look through this," He muttered to himself, then quickly put Yakko's file away. Then he opened up his.

First, his missing toon's flyer, which was slightly jarring. The word "Found" had been stampted on it in red ink. He flipped past that and through some other case details from police, when he suddenly found photocopied versions of Scratchy's notes. They were dated from recent sessions all the way to the 90's.

When he got to the back, instead of seeing an employment application, he saw an info sheet on him. He scanned the page until he saw the line he was looking for:

Creator: Charles J. "Charlie" Sanders

Wakko's eyes widened. This was the proof he'd been looking for; Charlie Sanders did exist. Not only that, but he was defiantly their creator.

_Those dreams were actually memories! But, why am I remembering now? Maybe I'll ask Scratchy..._

He was about to put his back, when his eyes came across the "J" initial in Charlie's name. _Maybe there is a connection..._

Wakko quickly went back to the S's, and found the file labeled "Sanders, Joel." He pulled out and opened it up. The first thing Wakko saw was a rap sheet, listing a first time DUI. Because it was a first time thing, his sheet was clear of any other violations, and because he didn't cause a wreck, he got off with a fine. A post-it note in Plotz's handwriting mentioned something about expunging his record.

After that exciting find, there wasn't much else. Some more papers such, but nothing linking him to any past employee. Wakko turned the page to the back, where he'd find his employment application.

Wakko gasped, dropped the file, and back away from it slightly like it was going to attack him. _No... No, it can't be!_

Shaking, he got the courage to walk back over to the folder. _It could have been a mistake, I only glanced anyway. _

He flipped back to the application, and his hopes of it being a trick of the eye where swiftly crushed. Because attached to that application was a photo. And Wakko recognized the man in the photo very well, but not because he'd seen him around the lot. How could Wakko forget the square jaw, set so tight, and those cold, steel grey eyes...

Joel Sanders was more than just some menial janitor how worked on the lot. Joel Sanders had been the man who attacked Wakko and his siblings.


	13. Something New

_Before you start reading, if you could remeber to keep everyone involved in the tragic shooting in Conneticut in your thoughts and prayers. I have no personal ties, but yesterday was a dark day for everyone._

_Chapter 13! Again, switching perspectives here. Start with Wakko, then switch to Yakko. From here on out, this should occur almost every chapter._

**Sorry, I can't think of anything... *Shrugs* Don't sue me? Pweese? **

* * *

_Wakko's POV_

Wakko ran across the lot, both folders underneath his arms.

_Gotta tell Scratchy... I have to tell him!_

He ignored Hello Nurse's questions as he sped past her and into Scratchy's office. Scratchy jumped as Wakko sprinted onto his desk.

"Wakko! Vhat are you doing?!" He yelled angrily. Then, he saw Wakko's face. He could read the anger like a book.

"Wakko, vhat's wrong?" Scratchy's voice now carried concern, and he carefully lifted him off the desk.

Wakko looked at him, then launched into a full explanation of what he found, starting with the memories that had come to him in dreams to the Sanders and their connection.

"This man," Wakko pointed to the picture of Joel Sanders. "He's the one who attacked me and my siblings. He's the one who took Yakko. And he's been under our noses this whole time!"

"Wakko, are you sure?"

"Yes." The amount of certainly in Wakko's voice threw Scratchy off a bit. "How could I forget the man who attacked me?"

"I believe you. Ve're going to have to go to the police vith this. And ve're going to have to get Dot."

"She's got clients today..."

"Vell, they're going to have to vait a bit. This is important." Wakko nodded.

"Does Charlie Sanders have any connection to Joel Sanders?" Scratchy asked as they left the office.

"I'm not sure. Charlie Sanders was the reason I went for the files in the first place. I just looked at Joel's to eliminate all possibilities. I never imagined..." Wakko trailed off. "Why, do you think there's some sort of connection?"

"That could be a possibility, and the police vill certainly find it interesting.

"We're going to find him Wakko; we know his name and have his address. It's only a matter of time now."

* * *

_Yakko's POV_

Yakko awoke from his nap to the sounds of footsteps on the stairs. _Is it time for food?_ He shook the groggy thought from his mind. _No, I've already eaten today._

He sat up and looked towards the stairs, waiting for the footsteps to stop at the bottom stair. And they did.

Then, they stepped into the basement.

Yakko quickly looked over the man he hadn't seen in a little over three weeks. His face was exactly how Yakko remembered it, down to every detail. In fact, the only thing about this Mr. Sanders was his clothes; he was now wearing grey slacks with a blue golf polo and black loafers.

"Well, Mr. Sanders, long time, no see. Not like I really wanted to see you much anyway. Though, if I had known you were getting a dolled up to see me, I would have worn something different. Oh, wait..." Yakko rambled on slightly, as Mr. Sanders just stood there. Then, he chuckled slightly.

"Oh, wow! Today must be my day! I got a _laugh_ out of the guy who put me here. And here I thought you were some emotionless sociopath," Yakko deadpanned. This guy was above and beyond "special friend" material, but with none of his usual comedic items, he had to use his wit.

Mr. Sanders started casually walking toward Yakko, who backed up a little involuntarily.

"I have emotions, you know," Mr. Sanders said, before kneeling by Yakko, who tried to get as far away from him as physically possible.

"If you say so, Mr. Sanders. Ya know, Mr. Sanders is a bit formal for my tastes. Ya got anything else I can call you?"

"Joel," Was his gruff reply.

"Okay then Joel-" Yakko started, but was cut off when Joel pulled out a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. His eyes widened as he remembered the burning sensation of the DIP that had coated the first pair, the way he had blacked out so soon after.

Joel seemed to read Yakko's expression. "There's nothing special about these. See?" He said, then quickly spun Yakko around and cuffed him. Yakko winced, but felt nothing but the cool metal of the handcuffs. "You've given me no reason to use the other handcuffs on you, so why should I?"

Yakko stood up, stumbling slightly from lack of balance. "Ya know, I might have correctly marked you as a bad boy, but I never got any bondage signals from you," Yakko said, smirking slightly. Joel just rolled his eyes, then, before Yakko could protest, put a dark blindfold around his eyes.

"So, know we're being secretive, huh?" Yakko remarked, then felt himself being led forward and up the stairs by Joel. "So, we're leaving. A little adventure to shake up the old routine of you bringing me food and me sitting around playing with the one thing you let me keep. Where are going? Ya know a place that sound like fun; the Warner movie lot."

"Shut up." Joel cut across Yakko suddenly. "Or, I'm going to use those other handcuffs." Yakko took the hint, thought he sent Joel a death glare from underneath the blindfold.

_Great joke earlier, the one about you having emotions, you stupid, slimy son of a-_

Yakko was suddenly shoved through a doorway, and just barely stopped himself from crashing to the floor. He heard Joel close and lock the door behind them. The he leaned right into Yakko's ear, making him cringe.

"Now, listen closely," Joel hissed. "I'm about to remove the blindfold and the handcuffs. Don't you _dare_ try anything, and don't mention anything about you being here to him."

"_Him"? Who's he talking about?_

Yakko felt the handcuffs be removed, then the blindfold leave his eyes. It took himself a few seconds to adjust to the light, and he realized that they were in a small, first floor bedroom with much larger windows than he was allowed. Looking around, he noticed all the health care equipment around the room. The explanation for all the supplies sat in a wheelchair by one of the corner windows near the bed.

The man in the wheelchair was old. Yakko put him around 90, quite possibly older. The man wore flannel pajamas with a plaid blanket around his legs. He wasn't much more than skin and bones, and Yakko felt both a bit of pity and wonder. He'd never age, so this idea of getting older and physically changing was new territory for him.

Yakko couldn't place it, but he felt some sort of connection to the old man sitting there. He felt like he should know this guy, like they'd met before, yet he was drawing a blank. For some reason, his mind went back to his old paddleball, still in his pocket.

Joel moved around Yakko to the old man and kneeled down beside him. Yakko was surprised by how gentle he was acting. "Hey, Granddad," he muttered, and Yakko jumped slightly. _Granddad?!_

"You've got a visitor." Yakko looked around the room, before it hit him that _he_ was the visitor. Granddad Sanders slowly looked up at his grandson.

"Who?" He croaked out, but Yakko could hear the excitement in his voice. He had the urge to hug this man, but he held himself back. He couldn't know anyone this old. Right?

"It's someone you haven't seen in a while," Joel said, while indicating to Yakko to come over. Yakko slowly walked over, and when he got close enough, Joel roughly yanked him over. _So much for being gentle..._

When the old man saw Yakko, his eyes widened in happiness, and Yakko could swear he saw tears. What shocked Yakko more was that he could feel some of his own start.

"Y-Yakko?" The old man stuttered out, like he couldn't believe it.

"Yakko, this is my Granddad, Charlie Sanders," Joel said, and Yakko swore he heard something like happiness in the normally gruff man's voice. Happiness, and a bit of boastfulness as well. "Your creator."


	14. Meet and Greet

_Chapter 14! Welcome to the longest chapter of the story everyone, and, in a slight twist, it's solely in Yakko's POV. Why don't we meet Charlie Sanders? _

**By the time you finish reading this, you'll forget that you wanna sue me. :)**

* * *

Yakko stared at Charlie, his mouth slightly agape. This man was his _creator_, the whole reason he existed. At this thought, he quickly shut his mouth.

Yakko quickly shut his eyes, trying to remember anything about Charlie Sanders and the 30's. He got absolutely nothing, except for the old cartoons they did. He began to feel a bit guilty; this guy was his creator, and he remembered nothing about him.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Charlie asked, and Yakko blushed slightly in embarrassment before quickly shaking his head.

"I-I'm sorry," Yakko muttered.

"Don't worry, Yakko. The 30's were quite some time ago, and you got me," He said, smiling, and Yakko could feel the guilt evaporate a bit.

Charlie turned toward Joel, and Yakko remembered that he was still in the room. He couldn't believe that the guy who kidnapped him was the grandson of his creator. It felt like Joel was intruding.

"Joel, where are his siblings, Wakko and Dot?" Yakko and Joel tensed. Luckily, Joel seemed to have prepared for this, because he was quick with an excuse.

"They're really busy. They've got lots going on in their lives. Dot has a store, if I recall correctly..." Yakko nodded, more for Charlie's benefit than Joel's. The fact that Joel was aware that Dot had a store made him sick to his stomach. Charlie' eyes lit up in curiosity, though, which made Yakko happy.

"I'd love to hear about that from her," He said, slightly wistful.

"They should be here next time," Joel said, and, again, Yakko felt like puking. This guy was still looking for his sibs, and he expected to kidnap them soon. However, he put on a happier face for Charlie. _If we weren't in front of this guy's grandfather..._

Yakko suddenly remembered Joel's words from earlier: "Don't mention anything about you being here to him." Charlie didn't know that the only reason that he was even able to see Yakko was because his grandson had kidnapped him.

_Wakko and Dot will meet him one day. Just... not under the circumstances I have to. _

"Good," Charlie said. "Now, Joel, would you mind leaving us alone? It's been so long since I've seen Yakko, and we have a lot of catching up to do."

The look on Joel's face said that he hadn't planned on Charlie asking this question. Yakko hoped that Joel would have some lack of judgment and leave them alone. Despite Joel's harsh request, he was going to tell Charlie about what Joel had done if he could get the chance.

"I don't want to do that. What if something happened to you? Yakko wouldn't know what to do," Yakko's hopes had been swiftly crushed. Sure, this Joel guy might be a jerk, but he was clever. Yakko watched as Charlie attempted to think of an argument. _C'mon! Before he starts talking again!_

"Besides, I've got my computer right here. I'll just watch something on Netflix or something with my headphones in. It'll be like I'm not even here."

_Damn it, Joel, shut up!_

"I guess you have a point. Sure, Joel. But you do worry too much," Charlie said, laughing slightly. Joel joined in, and Yakko gave a small, forced chuckle. As he walked to his computer, Joel shoot Yakko a look that read that he was still going to be listening in. There was no chance of Yakko getting to tell Charlie anything.

Once Joel was tucked away in the internet, Charlie turned toward Yakko.

"Might as well start at the beginning. Wouldn't much sense to start anywhere else.

"It was 1928, and I had just been hired at Warner Bros as a storyboard artist. It wasn't exactly what I wanted to do, but I was young. I needed the experience. I was excited just to get the job.

"That was about the time the rumors of creators started up; artists and animators who could somehow bring their drawings to life. Those who said that they existed said that only the most passionate artists could do it. The artist's passion and love for their creation is what brought them to life. I, however, didn't believe the stories. This was before they were able to get the drawings off the page, so there really wasn't much proof. I'd never seen it, so I just figured it was smoke and mirrors.

"Then, one day, I got my work finished early. So, I did what I always had done with free time; I sketched. I always had a pad of paper and pencils on me, and that book was filled with doodles and failed characters. It was a nice day, so I had gone outside to sketch, and I ended up near the water tower. Suddenly, I got this crazy idea. What if there were some crazy creatures who lived in the water tower?

"So, I started sketching like mad. I envisioned these crazy cartoon characters that were so random, you couldn't pinpoint the exact animals they were. I modeled their personalities after the Loony Tunes cartoons I'd seen and worked on. Because they lived in the water tower, I gave them the last name Warner. And, before I knew it, I had the first sketch of you, Wakko, and Dot."

Charlie turned towards Joel, who looked up quickly, sensing his grandfather's eyes on him.

"Joel, could you get my book?" Joel smiled and nodded, then went to a bookshelf and pulled down a large scrapbook. He put the book in Charlie's lap while avoiding Yakko's eyes and went back to his computer. Charlie flipped through the book, then stopped just a few pages in.

"This is that first sketch," He said as he handed the book over to Yakko. His eyes widened at he looked over the page. It was a rather rough sketch; they were not much more than stick figures, the tuffs of fur on the sides of his and Wakko's face where missing and Dot had a bow instead of a flower.

"As you can see, they're not moving," Charlie said as Yakko handed the book back. "You three where never supposed to be more than just that one sketch. But, for some reason, you three wouldn't get out of my head. So, I kept drawing, adding details, changing things, and soon, ideas for cartoons started popping into my head.

"Then, one day, months after that first sketch, pretty early into 1929, I drew you three in front of the tower exactly like how you three are now. And I say that, because that's when you three came to life. I looked away from my sketch book for one second and when I looked back, the three of you were moving around on the page. I didn't believe it at first; I thought I had gone mad. Then, my friend David walked by and saw you three moving. His exact words where 'Damn, Charlie, you're a creator!'

"Of course, that attracted attention. There was only one other creator on the Warner lot at the time, and he only worked on the best Loony Tunes shorts. The CEO, Gerald Plotz, was ecstatic. I was immediately assigned to work more on you three, develop you some more, make you guys more lifelike."

"So, when did we pop off the page?" Yakko asked, eager to find out more.

"I'm gettin' there, Yakko," Charlie said, laughing slightly. "I ended being the one who discovered how to bring living drawings off the page, and it's surprisingly simple; give the character the ability to break the fourth wall. Because, up until that point, you three weren't even aware that you where drawings on a page. As soon as I gave you three the capability to see past the fourth wall, you realized that you where you were, and quickly left it.

"I was shocked, you guys were curious, and Plotz was even more excited. He went on and on about how much money we were going to save because of this. More cartoons stared jumping off the page, and that's about the time you guys started working on the Buddy cartoons."

"I remember those!" Yakko cut in, eager to prove that he remembered something. "They were fun."

"You three did seem to enjoy working on those," Charlie said with a chuckle. "I was excited to see my ideas in motion, and I began to realize how attached I was to you three.

"I'll admit that you three weren't the easiest to handle. I seemed to be the only person you listened to, and Plotz never understood that. He only saw you guys as cheap actors and nothing more. He wanted me to be working on other things, instead of helping out with your cartoons. He saw that as a 'waste of time', in his words. He finally got fed up with your chaotic behavior, and my arguments that he was too stubborn to listen to. I was fired and you three where locked up."

Yakko could see how hard this was on Charlie, and he felt angry. _What if separating us is the reason neither I or my sibs can remember Charlie?_

"Even if they wanted to stop making our cartoons, they shouldn't have separated us," Yakko said, and Charlie gave him a grateful smile. Then, he quickly pulled Yakko into a hug, which Yakko returned.

"So, what happened after that?" Yakko asked.

"Well, I somehow survived the Depression. I migrant farmed a bit, rode the rails some, and finally took one of Roosevelt's government jobs. Soon after that, I moved to New York, and met my wife, Danielle. When World War Two broke out, we almost did a role reversal of what most people did; I took a factory job, and she went overseas as an army nurse. We moved back to LA after the war, started a family, and I had a rather nice life. I still wondered about what happened to three. I grew worried when DIP was invented, relived when I heard of its outlaw, and excited when I saw you three got another show. I never truly let go of you three, and I think I bored my wife and kids with stories of my time at the studio with you three.

"My wife died a few years back, and most of my kids and grandkids live in other parts of the country, except for Joel, of course. I figure you two met at the studio?"

"Sure, let's go with that," Yakko said quickly.

"Yeah, Joel works at the studio as a janitor," If Yakko had a glass of water, he would have done a spit take. He _works_ at the studio? _That's how he found us; he was under our noses the whole time._

A new, much scarier thought made its way into Yakko's mind. _He's that close to my sibs on a daily basis..._

"Yakko, are you okay?" Charlie asked, noticing Yakko's panicked expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Yakko said, trying to mask his face back into a happier expression. "This is just a lot to take in."

"I understand. So, you've got my side of the story. What have you been up to?"

Before Yakko could answer, Joel was over by him and Charlie, and had a firm grip on Yakko.

"I just heard from the studio. We're needed back over there. I'm sorry," Joel said, and Yakko noticed how nervous and pissed he looked.

Charlie looked over at Yakko, a sad smile on his face. "You'll be back soon, right?"

Yakko smiled. "Of course. How could I not come back to see my creator?"

Joel gave Yakko's arm a rough tug, and Yakko bit back the urge to yell either at him or in pain. "I'm sorry, Granddad, but we really have to go," And with that, he pulled Yakko towards the door.

"Goodbye, Yakko," Charlie called out.

"Goodbye, Charlie," Yakko had just enough time to say, before Joel forced him out the door and shut it. Yakko barely had any time to study the hallway he was in before he was blindfolded and cuffed. Joel shoved him forward.

"Hey, unnecessary roughness!" Yakko called out, only to be shushed harshly. Yakko was rather angry. He'd finally gotten the chance to see his creator for the first time in decades, only to be forced out.

_I wonder if that's why he took me; he wanted his granddad to see me and my sibs again. Well, as much as I appreciate that idea, the attacking and kidnapping thing's a bit extreme. _

They got back to the basement, where Yakko was free from the handcuffs, though he had to remove the blindfold himself. When he got it off, he saw why. Joel was staring at his cell phone, and he was fuming. He cursed, causing Yakko to instinctively do his third of the "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" bit, and threw his cell at the wall, before storming up the stairs.

Out of curiosity, Yakko walked over to the cell phone and picked it up. The reason from Joel's anger had been a text message from Plotz, which was still open on the phone:

**This is Thaddeus Plotz. You're fired. You should know why.**

Yakko felt a smile creep onto his face. They had figured it out! They knew that Joel Sanders had kidnapped him! They were going to come and get him!

_I'm gonna see Wakko and Dot again!_

* * *

_I know a few people are wondering about when I'll update due to the holidays. I will update next week, but not the first week of 2013, as I'll be on a no internet, no cell phone vacation. Merry Christmas and I'll see you next week! :D_


	15. Waiting and Wishing

_Chapter 15! This is now my longest story, and we've still got some ways to go! :D To give you a break from last weeks longer chapter, this one's on the shorter side. We start with Wakko, then switch to Yakko. Enjoy! :)_

**I'm pretty sure that if you sued me, the Warners could label you a "special friend". You don't want that label.**

* * *

_Wakko's POV_

Wakko watched as Dot paced back and forth in the police station. She stopped, balled her hands into fists, unclenched them, then sat down in the chair next to Wakko. Ten seconds later, she was up and pacing again. It's just how she dealt with stress; she had to be moving.

Wakko, however, preferred to sit and focus while stressed. Scratchy had gone to get coffee with Plotz, and Wakko got the feeling they were talking about how they should deal with this. They were all waiting to see if the police could locate Yakko and Joel Sanders.

Earlier, after Wakko had made the discovery, he and Scratchy had gone to get Dot. Luckily, her clients had already left, so she wasn't leaving her store in the middle of important business. They caught her up with what was going on in the car. Her exact words had been "He's been under our noses the entire time?!"

They'd gotten to the police station, informed them of what had happened, and, after some discussion of the options, they'd sent a tactical team out to Joel Sanders' apartment. Scratchy had called Plotz, who came surprisingly fast. He'd quickly fired Joel Sanders and was now trying to figure out how to deal with a press that was certainly going to catch wind of this.

Yelling suddenly erupted from across the station; someone was resisting arrest in the middle of the station. The small headache that had been in the back of Wakko's brain exploded at the noise, causing Wakko to press his hands to his ears.

"Migraine?" Dot asked, and Wakko nodded. She walked over, sat next to Wakko, and began to rub her hand in small circles on Wakko's back. Plotz and Scratchy soon returned, and, not too long after that, one of the police chiefs.

"Well, officer?" Plotz asked, wanting to get straight to business. _Typical Plotz._

"Well, I don't have the best news. We didn't find any sign of Joel Sanders or Yakko Warner at the apartment. In fact, the place looks like it's been abandoned for a while now. Mr. Plotz, sir, are you sure that the address you gave us was the most up-to-date?"

"Yes. Joel Sanders never submitted a change of address form. If he had, it would have been in his file and on line. Where you able to get into his online record?"

"Yes, and we found the same address. He's been hiding himself extremely well; he hasn't left a paper trail for us to follow, meaning he's either using an alias or cash for just about every purchase. We can't even be sure he's still in Los Angles. Do you know of any relatives or friends he has in the area?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know."

"Well, we're going to keep following this lead, and I'm sorry that I don't have much better news to tell you."

"Have you checked Charlie Sanders?" Scratchy asked. Wakko and Dot looked up at this. They didn't know anything about their creator, and they hoped that he wasn't connected to this.

"Yes, but we haven't found much on him either. Considering the fact that he's older, he may not use modern technology as much. We'll keep looking into it, though.

"For now, you all should head home. We'll keep you updated."

They left, feeling rather disheartened. Wakko kept hoping that they'd find Yakko. He still had the feeling that Yakko was still out there alive.

Wakko and Dot made their way back to the tower. Dot gave the tower door a rather forceful slam, causing Wakko to wince and Dot to send him an apologetic look before storming to the bed room, though she didn't slam that door. Wakko went to kitchen and took some pain reliever for his migraine, when he heard sobbing.

Wakko crept his way into the bedroom and saw Dot on her bed, crying into her pillow. He softly went to her bunk, sat next to her, and rubbed her head softly.

"W-what if they don't find him, Wakko?" Dot muttered softly. "What if they never find him? Or what if they do, but..." Dot trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence, though her meaning was very clear.

"That's not going to happen. They'll find Yakko, and they'll find him alive. I just know it."

"Are you sure?" She looked up at Wakko.

"Positive."

Dot smiled softly, and laid back down on the bed. Wakko kept rubbing her head when she spoke up again.

"Can you tell me a story?"

The childlike question caught Wakko off guard. It had been a few years sense Dot had requested a bedtime story.

"I thought that was Yakko's job. And, I thought you said you were too old for bedtime stories?"

"Yeah, but there are always exceptions to rules."

So Wakko began a story, trying to remember one the one's Yakko used to tell. He messed up a couple of details, but Dot didn't seem to mind. In fact, by the time he finished, she'd dozed off. Wakko glanced at a nearby clock and realized how late it was. It had been a long day, and he could feel his own eyes start to drop.

He made a move to get up, when Dot grabbed him, pulling him closer. Wakko wasn't certain, but he swore he saw a faint smile on her face. He chuckled slightly, and tucked himself in next to her and drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

_Yakko's POV_

Yakko looked out one of the small widows and saw the night sky. It had been hour's since Yakko had visited Charlie and learned that the studio had figured out Joel had been the man who attacked him and his sibs.

Joel had quickly rushed back down to the basement after he'd thrown his phone down there, realizing he'd given Yakko a way to call the police. So, all Yakko could do was wait. No one had shown up at the house, and Yakko had started to resign himself to the fact that no one was coming today. He should have realized that Joel would have covered his tracks.

He wondered how Wakko and Dot were doing. This couldn't be easy on them. Yakko knew that he had protected them the best he could, but he wanted nothing more than to see them again.

Yakko pulled out his paddleball and ran his fingers over the engraving. He was almost certain that Charlie had given this to him, and he planned on asking the next time he got a chance to see him. He just hoped it'd be after he got out of here.

He noticed a few stars peeking through the small windows, and Wakko's wishing star song popped into his head. He smiled slightly, the words coming back to him.

"Wishing star please hear my plea, grant one wish, one wish for me," He sang the last line softly. He made his wish softly, if to do nothing more than give him some more blind hope.

_I wish I could get out of here and see my sibs._

* * *

_Quick reminder; No update next week due to the fact I'll be out of town. So, have a Happy New Year and I'll see you all on Jan. 12! :D_


	16. Discoveries

_Welcome back and Happy New Year! Chapter 16! I'm almost at 100 reviews! :O Thank you all so much! __This one's short, but pretty important. We're going to just call this chapter's POV third person omniscient, and you'll see why in a sec. ;)_

**Uhhh...please don't sue me? (I gotta think of better disclaimers/threats...)**

* * *

Wakko woke up after one of his first full night sleeps in weeks. He noticed that Dot had already gotten up, and he could smell breakfast. This galvanized him to get up and head toward the kitchen. Dot was already there, eating breakfast, and she smiled as he walked in the kitchen. He joined her at the table.

"Don't you have work today?"

"I always close the day after a client day."

"Right... Do you think Charlie Sanders is involved in Yakko's kidnapping?" The question kept buzzing in the back of Wakko's brain, and he needed to get it out.

"I hope not, but I have a feeling he's got some tie to this," Dot admitted. "But, I really, really hope not."

"Same. I just hope they find him soon."

"Me too, Wakko. Me too."

They finished their breakfast in silence, and started to go about their day. A few hours later, Wakko got up and found Dot watching TV.

"I'm gonna go on a walk. Wanna come?" He asked.

"No thanks. Just...come home safe, okay?"

"Of course," Wakko said, grinning, and Dot returned the expression. Wakko headed out the tower door and across the lot. He easily snuck past Ralph and out the gate. He decided to turn away from the park, and he headed down the street, so getting lost in his thoughts.

He found himself in a part of town lined with townhouses. The windows that lined the foundation told Wakko that these had basements. As he walked by one, he thought he saw something pass by one of the basement windows.

His curiosity got the best of him, and he went to check it out. He peered into the window and gasped. Because, right there, sitting in the basement, was Yakko.

Yakko sat in the basement, messing with his paddle ball He'd been pacing a bit earlier as he still hadn't gotten in food today, and was starting to feel it. Considering what happened yesterday, it was no small wonder that Joel was being temperamental today.

He suddenly heard a tapping noise come out of nowhere, shaking him from his thoughts. He began looking around widely, when he heard the noise again. He turned toward his left and his heart leapt out of his chest. Wakko was by the widow, calling for him.

Yakko waved to let Wakko know that he saw him, then ran for the small ladder that was kept in a corner of the basement Yakko normally didn't go to. He climbed up to the widow.

"Yakko!" Wakko called through the window. He couldn't believe it. He'd _found_ Yakko, purely by chance.

"Wakko! I'm so glad to see you!" Yakko called back, close to tears. He'd finally seen his one of his sibs again. "Can you open the widow? My side's lined with DIP."

Wakko winced at Yakko's words, but he nodded. He pulled out his gag bag. "I'm gonna get you out of there," He said as he pulled out a screwdriver. He undid the bolts on the window and tossed the glass aside. The two brothers reached through the threshold and hugged.

"It's so good to see you again, sib," Yakko said.

"You too, Yakko," Wakko muttered. Suddenly, he felt someone behind him. Before he could react, someone gave him a sharp kick to the back. Wakko tumbled into the basement, falling on top of Yakko in the process.

"Well, Wakko, I knew you were happy to see me, and I do return the feeling, but that may have been too much," Yakko said, standing up.

"Someone kicked me," Wakko muttered, rubbing his back. Yakko raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Yakko's eyes widened and Wakko turned to see what he was looking at, and saw that someone was putting the window back into place. Wakko watched as Yakko's eyes narrowed and he ran over to a staircase. Wakko walked over there, looking at the small basement Yakko, and now himself, were forced into.

Suddenly, there where footsteps on the stairs. Wakko ran over to the stairs as Yakko ran up them. There was a loud smack and Yakko went flying back down the stairs and into the wall.

"Yakko!" Wakko cried and ran to his brother, who looked dazed.

"Michelle Pfeiffer?" Yakko muttered, a loopy grin on his face.

"Not even close," A gruff voice said, and both brothers looked up, Yakko snapping out of his daze. As they did, Wakko's eyes widened and he backed away, while Yakko's narrowed and he leaned forward.

"Well, looky here. I didn't think you'd come so easily," Joel said, looking pointedly at Wakko.

"You're the one who kicked me in the basement," Wakko retorted.

"Shut up," Joel growled. "Besides, who's stuck here?"

"What's the point of this?" Wakko asked.

"I grew up hearing my granddad talking about the toons he created, about how much he loved them, and about how Warner Bros. forced them apart. It made me angry, how my granddad couldn't even see the own toons he created.

"So, I got a job at Warner's. Sure, I was nothing more than a janitor, but it allowed me to see you three. I expected you guys to at the very least know the name of your creator. But you three knew nothing! And, granddad's not getting much younger..."

"So, you kidnapped us so we could see Charlie?" Yakko said, raising an eyebrow.

"You could have just told us. We would've come," Wakko said.

"You don't understand! The studio has him under a contract! They forced him to sign it after they fired him! This was the only way!"

"Joel?" Yakko and Joel tensed as Charlie's voice carried from his bedroom. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, Granddad. Everything's fine," He said, and a smile crept on to his face as he looked at Yakko and Wakko.

"Two down and one to go," He muttered, then went back upstairs. Both Yakko and Wakko winced as he slammed the door.

"The police are putting the pieces together," Wakko said, turning towards his brother. "We shouldn't be here long."

Yakko pulled his brother into a hug. "I hope so. But, right now, I'm just glad I get to see you again."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the tower, Dot was sitting reading a magazine when she looked up the clock. _Geeze, Wakko's been out for a while._

Before she could meditate on that thought, the phone rang. She sprang up and picked it up.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hello, Dot. This is Officer Hopper at LAPD. We've had a breakthrough in the case regarding you brother, Yakko."

Dot inhaled quickly. "What?"

"We've made a connection between Joel and Charlie Sanders; Charlie is Joel's grandfather. We've got Charlie Sanders' address, and we're heading over there soon. You and your brother are free to come down to the station to wait."

"Do you think Charlie's involved at all?" Dot had to ask.

"We have no reason to believe that right now. However, we're not eliminating him as a person of interest."

"Okay. Thank you, Officer, and I'll be there soon."

"See you soon," He replied and they hung up. Dot grabbed a note pad a scribbled a note to Wakko, regretting putting off their idea of getting him a cell:

Wakko,

Call me as soon as you get home. This is important, but I want to tell you personally.

Dot

She quickly left the house and headed to Scratchy's, ignoring a panicked feeling in her gut. Though she felt like something was seriously wrong, she shoved it down, blaming nerves.

_Please, let them find Yakko. _


	17. Stuck

_Chapter 17! First off, a big shout-out and much love to HBee16 for reviewing early chapters just to become the 100th reviewer! Seriously, that is awesome. :D And I passed 100 reviews for the first time ever, so big thanks to everyone who's reviewed and supported this story. Much love to all of you! :D We start with Dot's POV, then switch to third person omniscient between Yakko and Wakko. So, how are Yakko and Wakko doing? Will the police find them? How's Dot doing? Read on and find out! _

**I'm assuming you won't sue me. Please don't prove me wrong.**

* * *

_Dot's POV_**  
**

Dot stared at her phone anxiously. _Why hasn't Wakko called?_ It had been over an hour since Dot and Scratchy had come to the police station. They were still waiting on some update, but hadn't been told much.

Dot couldn't shake the nervous pit in her gut that kept telling her that something was seriously wrong. She kept telling herself that it was just a mix of nerves and paranoia, but something kept arguing back, saying that she needed to be concerned.

"Dot, _wie ghet's_?" Scratchy asked, looking concerned, and Dot quickly remembered that Scratchy had told them the German phrase meant "How are you?" Scratchy sometimes slipped back into German when he was stressed.

"I'm not doing too good," Dot admitted after a pause. "I've got the feeling like something bad has happened...Do you think it's just nerves?"

Scratchy paused for a second, taking in Dot's words.

"I'm not sure Dot. It could be paranoia...Have you heard from Wakko yet?"

"No! That's part of the reason I'm so worried. What if he's gotten hurt somehow..."

"Wakko vill be fine. He can handle himself."

Dot smiled, but it was fake. Despite Scratchy's words, she didn't feel any better. She just hoped she could get news about this new lead soon...

* * *

_Third-Person POV_

Wakko pulled out on of his plot holes and placed it on the floor of the basement.

"I can't believe I'm about to get out of this place..." Yakko muttered. Wakko smiled at his brother. Yakko took his hand, and they both focused on the water tower.

The slams of footsteps running down stairs snapped them out of their concentration. They both took steps back as Joel dashed into the basement and watched Joel take in the scene.

"I figured you'd try something like this!" He growled pointing at Wakko, who cowered under his glare, memories of that night came back to him. He quickly pulled out a reusable water bottle, and dumped the contents on the plot hole. The green liquid sizzled and bubbled as it hit with the plot hole, slowly eating it. Yakko and Wakko stepped back even farther, realizing that the liquid was DIP.

"Hand it over. All of it," Joel demanded, still looking at Wakko. Wakko looked over at Yakko, his eyes asking if he had to. Though it pained Yakko, he nodded yes.

It took a few minutes, and some help from Yakko, but they got all of Wakko's toon items out of his pockets, plus his gag bag. Wakko looked at the bag longingly, and placed it on top of the pile.

"You keep that," Joel muttered, then picked up the pile and left the basement, leaving Yakko and Wakko alone with the bag.

"I wonder why he let me keep this." Wakko wondered, looking at his now empty and deflated bag. Yakko looked at the bag, then pulled out his paddleball and looked at the engraving. He remembered his theory as to why Joel had allowed him this one possession.

"Let me see that," Yakko said, and Wakko handed the bag over. Yakko searched over the bag, but it wasn't until he turned the thing inside out did he find the answer.

"Bingo!" Yakko exclaimed, holding the inside out bag, a portion of it covering his palm.

"Why are we playing bingo?" Wakko asked.

"No, we're not actually _playing_ bingo; I've found something!"

"What?"

"This," Yakko says, showing Wakko a tag that was in stitched on the inside of the bag. "And I quote 'Dear Wakko, This should solve the problem about your pockets being a bit too small. Love, _Charlie Sanders_'."

"Charlie Sanders our creator?"

"Exactly, sib. As Joel's already told you, he's the grandson of our creator,"

"Does that make us related to Joel?" Wakko interrupted.

"I have no idea, and I really don't want to go there," Yakko said, and they both shuddered.

"Anyway, Charlie is Joel's granddad, and that's the whole reason he's flipped his lid and kidnapped us. He's taken away everything we could use to escape, plus anything else we happened to be carrying. Except these two items."

"Two?" Wakko questioned, and Yakko answered by showing him the paddleball and it's engraving.

"I was wondering if the reason that Joel allowed me to have this was because it was a gift to me from Charlie. Your gag bag and the tag in it prove this. He wanted us to keep something from Charlie, probably in hopes of restoring our memory."

"I do remember getting this!" Wakko exclaimed suddenly, and Yakko looked at him, his eyes wide.

"Care to elaborate?" He asked, attempting, and failing, to hide the shock and mild envy in his voice.

"Well, it just sorta came back to me as you where explaining. But, I remember getting mad because some goof happened during our creation, and my pockets ended up smaller than yours and Dot's. So, Charlie made and gave me the gag bag to make up for it," Wakko explained.

"How'd you remember that?" Yakko asked, baffled.

"Remember that night a little over three weeks ago when Joel..." The sentence trailed off, but its meaning was clear. Yakko nodded at Wakko to continue. "Well, remember how he hit me in the head? I, uhh, ended up getting amnesia from it..." Wakko watched as Yakko's eyes widened even more.

Yakko was shocked. _Even though I tried to protect him, I still failed..._

"Are you okay?" Yakko had to ask.

"Yeah, it took a few weeks, but my memory's back. But, I've also been having dreams about the late 20's and early 30's. Well, they're actually memories, but they only came to me while I slept. The more I think about it, the more I remember. I think because I focused so hard on remembering stuff, some more memories came back."

Wakko was surprised when Yakko suddenly hugged him.

"I was trying to protect you, and you still got hurt," Yakko muttered.

"Hey, I'm fine now," Wakko reassured. "Besides, I have a feeling we'll be outta here soon."

Suddenly, the heard Joel's footsteps on the stairs, causing them to quickly break apart in shock. He looked pissed, and was carrying both blindfolds and handcuffs, and Yakko was relieved to see they were DIP-free.

"Looks like it'll be sooner than we thought," Yakko muttered to Wakko.

Joel quickly walked over, and started putting Yakko in the handcuffs. Yakko looked at Wakko's horrified expression and mouthed "Its fine" before being blindfolded. Reassured by his brother, Wakko allowed the same to be done to him.

"So," Yakko dragged out the word as Joel lead them up the stairs. "Are we seeing Charlie again?"

"No," Joel answered curtly. "Now, shut up, or I'll make you."

Both brothers stayed stone silent, though Yakko had to quietly hum to fill the silent void. He _really _hated silence, and Joel didn't yell, so he kept it going as they went up three flights of stairs. When they got to the top of the third flight, Joel removed their blindfolds, but not the handcuffs. Once the Warner brothers had adjusted to the light, he was gone.

Yakko and Wakko looked around the small room. It was not much more but wood, insulation, pipes, and wiring, and the celling slopped low to their heads.

"We're in the attic," Yakko deduced and struggled slightly against the handcuffs.

"I wonder why we're up here now," Wakko said, also attempting to get out of his restraints.

Yakko shakily stood up and walked to the small window at the front of the attic, while Wakko's ears perked up.

"Hear that?" Wakko asked.

"What?"

"Sirens," Wakko looked a Yakko, a hopeful note in his voice. "I hear police sirens."


	18. Showdown

_Chapter 18! Again, third person omniscient with Yakko and Wakko. So, are the Warner brothers getting out of this? Why don't we find out?_

**In a few months, I gotta start applying for college. Do you really want to hurt my chances by suing me?**

* * *

Literally using their heads, due to their hands being cuffed, Yakko and Wakko were able to push the small widow open and watch the scene unfold below them. Soon after hearing the sirens, they shut off, and one police car silently made its way to the house.

"Why is there only one car?" Wakko questioned.

"They may not be certain if Joel's here or not. Also, Charlie's not exactly young; they don't want to scare him. They probably have backup waiting in case something happens," Yakko reasoned.

Wakko nodded and focused back on the scene below. Two cops emerged from the car and made their way to the door. They could hear the doorbell from both out and inside the house.

"Charlie Sanders, this is LAPD. Can you please answer the door; we just have a couple of questions."

Yakko and Wakko could hear muttered conversations from a few floors down. After a few minutes, the door opened, and they watched Charlie emerge from the door in his chair.

"Is that..." Wakko asked, and Yakko remembered that he hadn't seen Charlie yet.

"Yep." They turned back to the scene.

"Hello officers. What's the trouble?"

"We're very sorry to bother you, Mr. Sanders, but we have some questions regarding your grandson, Joel."

"Just Charlie, please. And, why do you need to know about Joel?"

"What has Joel been doing these past few weeks?"

"Not much, beyond going to work down at Warner Bros. and staying here taking care of me."

"So, he lives here? Does he do everything around the house?"

"Yes and yes. Well, we have someone who delivers groceries if he's busy with work, but they haven't been coming the past few days; Joel's on break," Both Yakko and Wakko had to give a snort of laughter at that. Joel obviously hadn't told Charlie he'd been fired.

"Why do you need to know about Joel?" Charlie continued. "And I won't answer any more questions until you answer mine."

The officer seemed to take a deep breath before continuing. "We believe Joel may be involved in a crime, and we haven't been able to find him. You're his only relative still living in the LA area, so we came here."

"What crime?" Charlie asked, his voice hard.

Yakko and Wakko didn't hear the officer's response, because they suddenly felt the presences of someone else in the room. Turning around quickly, they noticed Joel watching them, his black backpack on his back. He had the same coldness in his eyes that he'd had when he'd first attacked them. Wakko began to feel himself shrink back from Joel's hard stare.

"Get away from the window," He said calmly, though his words sent shivers down both their backs. Wakko studied Joel's face, trying to find the right word to describe it.

"Get over here. Now." The word suddenly came to Wakko; murderous. They began to walk over, but that was evidently too slow because he grabbed Wakko's arm and shoved him over. Wakko gave a cry of pain at Joel's strong grip. Yakko attempted to get to his brother, but Joel stood in the way, and pushed him back.

"You two," Joel muttered, a crazy gleam in his eye. "Are more trouble than your worth." He then quickly pulled out one of the water bottles of DIP from his backpack and the bag on the floor.

"But that's all about to change."

Wakko backed himself against the wall and braced himself for the hit. Yakko stood there, frozen in shock at the sudden turn of events. Wakko could almost read his mind; he was probably beating himself up for not being able to protect him. Joel stood there, staring at Wakko with wide eyes.

Suddenly, he turned to where Yakko was still frozen in place and began to unscrew the water bottle's cap.

Wakko felt like he was moving in slow motion. He charged at Joel and slammed into him with his shoulder. Joel fell down to the ground, hitting his head on the wall and falling unconscious. The bottle flew across the room, spilling its contents into a puddle on the floor.

Wakko ran to the backpack and poked his head in, trying to find his way through. He spotted a small, sliver key towards the bottom. He reached down and picked it up by his teeth.

"Nice one, Wakko!" Yakko exclaimed as he turned around and let Wakko slip the key into his palm. "And I don't just mean getting the key."

"I was just tired of him pushing us around," Wakko said as Yakko worked the key into the keyhole in Wakko's handcuffs. "So I did some pushing back." The key clicked into place and Wakko's handcuffs fell off, and he got to work on Yakko's.

"Well, I'm sure glad you did," Yakko muttered as his handcuffs came off and they hugged.

"Wow, how many Disney moments have we had in the past few hours?" Yakko asked.

"I don't wanna know," Wakko said, sticking his tongue out in mild disgust.

"Well, when we get out of here, we'll try to have some fun."

"Faboo!"

They turned at the sound of footsteps underneath them. The door on the floor opened up and a few police officers looked up into the attic.

"Hello, officers," Yakko said casually, like he was passing them on the street. "If you're looking for a Mr. Joel Sanders, he's lying over there." Yakko indicated to the unconscious Joel lying a few feet away.

"And if you're looking for the Warner brothers," Wakko said.

"You've come to the right place," Yakko finished with a grin.

* * *

Yakko and Wakko were quickly lead out of the attic by an officer and into the second floor hallway. Despite the fact that this was the house that Yakko had been forcibly kept in for over three straight weeks, he couldn't help but look around. This hallway was well kept, but barren, like it was never used. They had reached the stairs when the officer pushed them back to the wall to let the EMT's by with a gurney.

Yakko noticed that Wakko looked guilty as it passed. Then, he turned to the officer.

"I'm not gonna get in trouble for pushing him, right?" Wakko asked, and Yakko quickly sprung to his defense.

"He shouldn't. It was obviously self-defense. The guy had DIP! If you guys search the house, you'd probably find it. And, he was about to splash it on me. If Wakko hadn't shoved him, I wouldn't be here!"

"Whoa, whoa, there!" The officer stopped Yakko, chucking slightly. He turned to Wakko. "You're not gonna get in trouble; it was obviously self-defense. In fact, knocking him out might have made our job easier."

They made their way down to the first floor, which had a stark contrast to the second. Here, pictures hung everywhere, and it had modest, but nice, furnishings. It then occurred to Yakko that Charlie was confined to the first floor due to the chair, and he didn't see a lift on the stairs. Of course this part of the house would look more lived in.

"Hey, where's Charlie?" Yakko asked, looking around.

"They're probably questioning him in another part of the house," The officer said casually. Yakko, however, immediately took it the wrong way.

"Charlie didn't know anything about what Joel was doing! He wasn't involved! And, he's our creator! He'd never approve of what Joel did!"

Yakko was about to go on when the officer stopped him.

"Slow down, kid. We've cleared Charlie Sanders. We're just trying to get some more information about what's going on."

"Oh...That make's sense..." Yakko trailed off, mad about how he'd lost his temper twice.

The officer seemed to read Yakko's face. "Look, you're going to be a bit on edge for a while. You're used to being confined to one room, and the only contact you had with anyone on a daily basis was hostile. And this occurred for three straight weeks. Don't worry, from what your siblings have told me, you'll bounce back quickly."

Yakko grinned at the officer. It was good to hear some encouraging words.

"Speaking of siblings, your sister's been at the station the past few hours, wondering how we're doing."

At this, Wakko face palmed. "She's going to kill me!"

Yakko and the officer raised their eyebrows at the sudden exclamation.

"I went on a walk this morning, and happened upon this house because I saw Yakko in the basement window. She's probably worried sick. And when she hears that I've been here..." Wakko sighed and Yakko put a reassuring arm around his brother.

"Hey, we can deal with the sis. She'll probably focus more on me, seeing on how she hasn't seen me over three weeks. Besides, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't get the chance to see her again anyway."

"And let me guess; Yakko spelt backwards is Okkay!" Wakko said sarcastically.

"Right!" Yakko exclaimed, while messing with Wakko's hair a bit. Wakko retaliated by shoving him back lightly and they had a mini shoving match as they left the house. However, as soon as Yakko stepped out of the house, he had to shield his eyes from the light.

"Who turned up the sun? Did I miss some crazy California quake that brought us closer to the sun or something?" Yakko said, squinting at the bright sun.

"You're used to being in that darker basement with little natural light. Of course being outside's gonna seem bright," Wakko reasoned while the officer gave him sunglasses.

"Gee, thanks, officer...Ya know, I realized I never got your name."

"Officer Hopper. George is fine, though," George walked over to his cruiser. "You two ready to leave this place?"

Yakko turned back to the town home. From the outside, it looked like any normal house, hiding the sinister things occurring inside. He never wanted to go back inside that house again. He never wanted to even be close to it, though that might be house if it was within walking distance like Wakko said. But, despite how much Yakko would try to distance himself from this place, for him, there'll always be a connection.

"George, I've been ready for over three weeks. Let's go."


	19. Reunited

_Chapter 19! We're in Dot's POV the entire time. I figured it be the best way, seeing as this is mostly about her being reunited with Yakko. Which begs the question: How will she react? Only two more chapters after this one, everybody!_

**Remember that assassin friend I mentioned a few chapters back. Have I also mentioned that she's fiercely loyal to her friends?**

* * *

Dot paced around the station as she waited for the police to get back from Charlie Sanders house. Scratchy had left a bit ago, as he was needed back at the studio, though he promised he'd be back as soon as he could. She also still hadn't heard from Wakko, which was putting her even more on edge. Though, the uneasy feeling in her gut had gone away.

She heard the sound of people walking and talking. _They must be back. _The voices sounded happy, so she took it as a good sign. One of the officers she'd talked to a lot, George Hopper, walked in to the room where Dot was waiting. Close behind him was Wakko.

"Wakko!" She yelled as she ran and about tackle hugged him. "Where were you? I've been worried sick!" She tried to keep the anger out of her voice, but couldn't help it. "They went to Charlie Sanders house!" She exclaimed, which reminded Dot as to why George was in the room.

"How did that go?" She asked George, slightly nervous about the answer.

"It went really well," George replied, and sighed in relief. "Charlie's not involved in any way, and we caught Joel Sanders."

"Who's currently in the hospital thanks to Wakko over here. Tackled him off to the side, would've impressed a football scout. Joel took one hit, and he went down."

Dot's eyes widened at the sudden voice that came from behind a wall. "Y-Yakko?" She muttered, and she saw Wakko's eyes widen at her. She hadn't mentioned her oldest brother's name since the attack.

Yakko walked into the room, and he still had the jaunty swagger in his step that she remembered. "Hey sis." He said, smiling.

Before she even realized it, she was hugging Yakko tight, tears of joy spilling down her face. "I missed you so much!" She finally got out.

"I missed you too, sister sibling," Yakko muttered, hugging back.

"So, what did you mean when you said that Wakko had put Joel Sanders in the hospital?"

"Oh, uhhh..." Wakko stuttered out. "I, uh, kinda found Charlie's house when I was out walking, and, well, Joel kinda found me."

"You got kidnapped too!" Dot exclaimed.

"Yeah, but if it wasn't for Wakko and the previously mentioned tackle, I'd probably be a puddle of DIP on the floor of an attic," Yakko said.

Dot gasped, and quickly pulled both of her brothers into a hug.

"Hey, look, our sister can be compassionate!" Yakko teased, obviously being sarcastic. This didn't stop Dot from pulling out an oversized mallet and smashing both Yakko and Wakko with it. George was caught by surprise, and was now laughing from both the shock and the hilarity of the situation.

"Boys," Dot muttered, putting the mallet back into her pocket.

"Hey, no fair!" Yakko said, as he shook off the shock of being hit. "Our pockets were emptied by Joel!"

"They were?" Dot asked, shocked.

"How did he do that?" George asked.

"Well, he got mine while I was unconscious, and he coerced Wakko into emptying his earlier," Yakko said, with Wakko nodding in agreement.

"Well, I hate to do this, but this reminds me; Yakko, I need you to walk me through the past three weeks, starting with the night you three were attacked. We'll need this to get an idea of what exactly we'll charge Joel Sanders with, plus this may help in a court case, though he'd be crazy to not take a plea deal."

Dot saw Yakko turn toward her and Wakko. She could see him trying to act like it wasn't that big of a deal. "Do you guys mind if you come with me?"

"We're not leaving you alone for a while, Yakko," Dot said, giving her brother a side hug, Wakko taking the other side. Yakko smiled as George lead them to a small room.

Dot and Wakko stayed while Yakko went through all the details of what he went through the past three weeks. Some of them were awful, and Dot could tell that this wasn't easy for him, though he tried to hide it. George only asked a few questions for clarifying purposes. Other than that, he was completely silent, only simply writing notes.

Yakko finished with a sigh and George finished his notes. "Well, Yakko, that should be about it for now. Why don't you three head on home, no doubt you'd love to do that." Yakko nodded, and Dot noticed that he was grinning with relief.

At this moment, Scratchy came into the room. Everyone was surprised when he ran forward and gave Yakko a big hug.

"Whoa, Scratchy, I didn't know you cared," Yakko muttered, and at that Scratchy quickly set Yakko down and attempted to regain his more professional persona.

"Vell, Yakko, it's good to see you again. I got the phone call from the police as soon as my meeting ended. I've been here, but they wouldn't let me in until you finished your interview."

"It's good to see you too, Scratchy. So, are you going to be our ride home?" Yakko asked.

"_Ja_, let's go."

The Warners quickly made their way out to Scratchy's minivan. The three climbed in first and Dot watched Yakko's eyes fall on the lock button on the driver's side door.

"Shall we, sibs?" Yakko asked, and they nodded, grinning. Yakko quickly reached across the car and locked the door, right before Scratchy attempted to open the door. They laughed as Scratchy sighed and unlocked the door with his keys.

"Vell, something's never change," Scratchy muttered.

"And I'm completely fine with that," Dot said. Yakko and Wakko nodded in agreement as Scratchy pulled out of the station.

Dot watched as Yakko kept his eyes on the window, taking in everything. She figured she'd do the exact same thing if she'd been locked away for weeks. She watched his eyes brighten as the water tower came into view. Scratchy drove in and pulled right up to the tower.

"Vell, Mr. Plotz vill vant to see you tomorrow, but for now, you three deserve some rest," Scratchy smiled slightly as the three Warners climbed out and waved goodbye to Scratchy.

Dot watched as Yakko dashed up the ladder and enter the tower. She and Wakko quickly followed. When they walked inside, they saw Yakko standing in front of the doorway, looking around the tower.

"Man, I missed this place," He muttered.

"It's good to have you back," Dot said, walking over. Then, she turned to Wakko. "You've been rather quiet." She remarked.

"Hey, Yakko and I already had our Disney moment reunion. I'm letting you two have your time," Wakko said, and Dot and Yakko chuckled.

"Well, I've obviously had a long day," Yakko said with a yawn. "I think I'm gonna head to bed."

"I'll be up soon," Dot said.

"Same," Wakko agreed. Yakko nodded and headed toward the bedroom.

"It really is nice to have him home," Wakko muttered, and Dot looked at him, then nodded.

When she headed to bed, she saw Yakko curled up on his bunk. She couldn't help but walk over and notice how peaceful he looked. He was sound asleep, thought if she had to sleep on a pile of blankets for a bed for three weeks, she'd be asleep quickly too.

She couldn't help but crawl in and cuddle with Yakko. She really had missed him. His disappearance had been hard, especially pared up with Wakko's amnesia. She was just glad that this was all about over, and that they could soon head back to a normal life.

She was almost asleep when she saw a shadow standing over her.

"I figured you'd do this," Wakko muttered, and Dot smiled sheepishly.

"Make some room for me," Wakko said as he climbed in on the other side. Though it was a bit cramped, it was still nice for all three of them to be together again. Dot smiled as she felt Yakko shift in his sleep to put an arm over both her and Wakko.

_Oh, Yakko. I really am glad to have my crazy brother back._

* * *

_So, due to a school trip, I'm going to be out of town next Saturday. XD (I promise, it seemed like such a free day when I picked it!) However, we'll be coming home Sunday evening. With only two chapters left, I'd hate to delay another week, so if I'm not too tired, I'll update late Sunday. If I am to tired, Monday afternoon. Then the final chapter will be posted that Saturday (the 16th). Sorry to throw everything off so late in the game, but that's RL for ya! See ya next chapter! :)_


	20. Relax

_Chapter 20! Chapter Title: The Day After This one's fully in Yakko's POV. More or less a breather, as we've gotta start winding down. However, we've still got one more chapter after this. Enjoy!_

**I've made the Warners earn their happy ending throughout this story. Let me earn mine by finishing this without a law suit.**

* * *

Yakko awoke from a long, dreamless sleep to find Wakko and Dot on either side of him. He chuckled slightly as he carefully got out of the bed trying not to wake them.

As he stood up and stretched, it hit him then that he wasn't in the basement, that he was home. He let that relief sweep over him.

His stomach then growled, which also reminded him that he could eat whenever he wanted now. In fact, he could go wherever he wanted and do whatever he wanted. He was unrestricted, he was...free. And that was a bit overwhelming.

His stomach growled again, which made him push back the sudden philosophy and go to make breakfast. He'd about finished with the bacon when Dot sleepily walked in. Her eyes brighten in slight shock at seeing him.

"Forgot I was here, huh?" Yakko said. Dot blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, you haven't really been here for a few weeks and in the early morning grogginess..."

"It's fine. I forgot where I was for a second when I woke up."

Dot smiled and walked over. "Bacon?"

"Yeah, and I've got the waffle maker you bought after Atlanta going, and I might make an omelet..."

"When did you turn into Wakko?"

"Sister sibling, do you recall when I said that I was only fed once a day? I didn't even realize how hungry I was until I opened the fridge!" Yakko started laughing slightly, but was cut off when Dot hugged him.

"It's just really good to have you home," She muttered. She then walked off and grabbed a few strips of bacon and a waffle. At this moment, Wakko walked in, muttered something about bacon, and grabbed half the stack. He didn't seem to realize that there where others in the kitchen until he saw Yakko and Dot doubled over in laughter.

"What, I'm hungry!" Wakko exclaimed.

"Something's will never change," Yakko muttered as he grabbed his own mountain of food and sat with his siblings. They carried on easy conversation and had about finished eating when the doorbell rang.

"I've got it," Yakko said, as he got up and made his way to the door. When he opened it, he saw Plotz standing there, two large packages behind him.

"Plotzie!" He exclaimed. "What brings you to our humble abode?"

"Hello, Yakko," He said, already sounding exasperated. "I need to talk to you three about a few things."

"What's in the boxes?"

"That's one of the things. Now, will you let me in?" Yakko could already see that his patience was wearing thin, so he sidestepped and let him in.

Wakko and Dot had made their way to the door by this point, and by the looks on their faces, they were just as curious as Yakko was by Plotz's sudden appearance.

"Well, Yakko, I am very pleased to see you back and well."

"Wow, Plotz is actually glad I'm here! Sibs, this may be a sign of the apocalypse!" Yakko gasped to his sibs, who immediately took up the joke.

"Oh, the horror!" Wakko gasped.

"Oh, the out-of-character-ness!" Dot said, pretending to faint.

"Be quiet!" Plotz yelled, causing the Warners to jump, then put angel halo's. Plotz quickly rolled his eyes at them, then continued.

"As I was saying, it is good to see you home, Yakko. From what Dr. Scratchnsniff has told me, you've already talked to the police," Yakko nodded. "Good. Now, I'm going to play messenger a bit here, as the police just called me with an update.

"Joel Sanders is currently still hospitalized, though he's woken up. He's in a separate part of the hospital from the other patients and under constant police surveillance. They'll probably discharge him at some point later today, where he'll be transported to a prison. His hospital is also a bit far from here, as I had the studio put a restraining order against him soon after his employment was formally terminated. You three are free to place personal ones against him, though it may not be needed. They've already started charging him, and he's going to be in prison for a while."

"What charges exactly?" Yakko asked, taking a more serious approach to this.

"Two counts of kidnapping, as they've counted Wakko into that number, three counts of felonious assault, three counts of stalking, and there's some more minor ones that I can't think of off the top of my head. But, it's almost guaranteed that he's going to jail for a long time."

"Good," Yakko said, and he meant it. Joel deserved every charge he got.

"Now, my other order of business concerns these packages, which came in today for you three from a Mr. Charlie Sanders." Yakko, Wakko, and Dot all turned to look at Plotz at this.

"Charlie sent us stuff?" Yakko asked.

"Yes, as well as this letter," Plotz then pulled a normal envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to Yakko. Sure enough, it was addressed to "Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner" and the return address said "Charlie Sanders".

"But, I thought Joel mentioned that there was a studio contract forbidding Charlie from contacting us," Yakko said looking at Plotz. "Or, did he make that up?"

"Joel wasn't lying when he mentioned that contract. However, it was signed by my father, who obviously not under the studio's jurisdiction anymore. This makes the contract outdated, and I decided to take the option to terminate the contract. Which means-"

"We can see Charlie?"

"Yes, you three are allowed to see Charlie Sanders again," Plotz looked at his phone. "I must get going, and I've covered what I needed to. Goodbye, you three," Plotz said as he left the tower, and Yakko swore that Plotz almost cracked a smile.

"Well, sibs, let's see what Charlie has to say," Yakko said as he tore open the envelope and read through the letter aloud:

Dear Yakko, Wakko, and Dot,

I do hope this letter finds you soon and in good spirits. I did pay extra for overnight delivery, so the soon part should be true.

First off, I want to apologize for my grandson's actions. I know this may not change what happened, but I need to get that off my chest. I hope you know that I don't approve of what he did to you three, and that I had no part in it. I seriously thought that when I saw Yakko only a few short days ago, he came on his own free will.

This leads me to the second thing. I've heard that the contract binding us to no longer have contact has been terminated by the current CEO. If you would like to come see me, the address to my new apartment is enclosed in this letter. I'd love to see Yakko again, though on his own free will, and I'd love to see Wakko and Dot as well. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's been too long.

The third thing concerns Yakko and Wakko. I heard that Joel took almost everything you two had in your pockets, except for one thing that I had personally made you. I'm sorry to say he destroyed everything he took. Yakko, I know you're in community college, so I'll replace any supplies you happened to have on you at the time. The boxes hold replacement toon items I've drawn for you two; one box for Yakko, and one for Wakko. I hope that they'll be good replacements for the one's you've lost.

That takes care of everything that I needed to. I do hope you three will come see me soon. My door is always open.

Much love, Charlie Sanders

Yakko and Wakko quickly went to the boxes, finding the one labeled with their name, and quickly tore them open. Mallets, anvils, and just about everything a toon could need was there. Yakko's box also contained the textbooks he happened to have on him when he was kidnapped. When he opened the cover of one, a small note from Charlie explained that he had called the college to figure out which ones to buy.

"Charlie is officially the best person ever," Yakko muttered as he and Wakko worked on filling their pockets.

"Hey, Yakko," Dot walked over. "Do you think we could see Charlie today?"

"Yeah," Wakko agreed. "From what I can remember from the 30's, he seems like a cool guy. I'd like to see him again."

"Well, sibs, his letter did say his door was always open. How about this afternoon?"


	21. Charlie Sanders

_Chapter 21 and the last chapter! Thank you all so much for the rather overwhelming praise (Though I'm not 100% sure I deserve it). We're in third person omniscient with all three Warner sibs. Enjoy the last chapter! :)_

**If you're thinking of suing me, you really jumped on this bandwagon late.**

* * *

That afternoon, the Warners made their way out of the tower and across the lot. Quickly making their way out of the lot, the checked the slip with Charlie's address on it.

"Geeze, that's a ways a way," Dot muttered.

"Well, sibs, why don't we try out on of the plot holes Charlie drew us? It'd be a good test run," Yakko offered, and Wakko and Dot nodded. Quickly throwing the plot hole on the ground, the Warners thought about the address, then jumped.

They ended up in front of an apartment complex called Cherry Grove. Yakko quickly checked the address, then grinned.

"Well, sibs, looks like Charlie's still got it," Yakko said. "Now, we just gotta find him."

After about ten minutes of wandering around, they found themselves in front of a small, first level apartment.

"Well, I think this is it. And of it isn't..." Yakko trailed off, and looked back at his siblings to see them decked out in door-to-door salesmen clothes.

"We'll have some fun," Dot said.

"Faboo!" Wakko chorused.

Yakko knocked on the door and the three Warners waited on the stoop. The door opened, and they saw a young man in nurses get up.

"You three must be the Warners," He said.

"And, who would you be?" Yakko asked, raising his hand to let his siblings know to wait on the door-to-door salesmen joke.

"I'm Leo Anderson, and I'm Charlie's at-home nurse. Though, he's pretty independent, so I don't do too much," Leo laughed slightly. "Why don't you three come on in? He'll be so excited to see you guys."

The Warners followed Leo into the apartment, which still had the look of being moved into.

"We had to get set up pretty fast, considering all that happened. Luckily, the apartment complex was nice and gave us a furnished place. I've been with Charlie for a bit now, getting groceries and helping when Joel..." He trailed off. "But now I'm full time, though I don't live here.

"He's probably in his room; I'll go let him know you guys are here," Leo walked down a small hallway and into a room. After a quick hushed conversation, Leo poked his head back out.

"You guys are free to come on in. I'm going to head out and get some more food," Leo said, gathering up some things. Yakko understood that part of the reason that Leo was leaving now was so they'd get some privacy, which he appreciated.

"See ya, and thanks," Yakko said to Leo's retreating back.

"No problem!" Leo said quickly, then left.

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot quickly made their way to the bedroom, but only Yakko entered. Wakko and Dot decided to hang back, as they hadn't seen Charlie in quite some time.

Charlie was situated by the window, seemingly lost in thought. However, he turned and smiled as Yakko entered the room.

"Yakko! You came quicker than I thought you would."

"Well, your package came today, and the sibs and I couldn't resist," Yakko said, and they hug quickly. "Thanks for all the stuff, by the way,"

"It's no problem. I actually started working on it after I saw you a few days ago, so it really didn't take that long. So, where's Wakko and Dot?"

Wakko and Dot took that as their cue to enter. Smiles and hugs where exchanged.

"You two haven't changed much, though that's to be expected," Charlie said, chuckling. He then turned to Dot. "My nephew wrote me a few months back saying that he ran into you at the AMTRAK station here in LA."

"You're Grandpa Jim's uncle?" Dot said, surprised, as Yakko and Wakko exchanged confused glances. "He didn't mention anything about it when we met."

"He said he didn't even recognize you until he was on his train. He said that he was wondering why he was so drawn to you, and that's when it hit him. He was pretty mad that it took him that long. And I see you still have that necklace he gave you," Charlie pointed to the necklace around Dot's neck.

"Ahhhh, excuse me, but Wakko and I are a bit lost here," Yakko came in.

"It's from my Atlanta trip; I'll explain later," Dot said, waving it aside.

"So, Yakko mentioned that he doesn't really remember the earlier days," Charlie said. "Out of curiosity, and I won't be mad if you don't remember, but do either of you remember?"

"I actually do," Wakko said. "After Joel, well, uhh..." He trailed off awkwardly, but Charlie nodded for him to continue. "Well, he kinda gave me a hard enough whack to the head to give me amnesia. While I was working on remembering stuff, I started remembering things from when we were first created. I remember a lot now, actually. In fact, me remembering everything helped us figure out what was going on."

"Though I may not remember as much as Wakko, some fuzzy things have started to come back to me," Yakko admitted.

"Same here," Dot said, and Charlie seemed to think for a second.

"I've got a theory about that, which I started thinking about after Yakko and I talked," Charlie said. "I think that the reason you guys really don't remember much is that you guys where younger back then. You might not have aged much, but you were still young. Also, we really didn't see much of each other. The studio really wanted me to work on other cartoons, even though I wanted to work with you guys some more, so they kept us separate at times. Couple that up with that darned contract, and well..." Charlie trailed off.

"Hey, we're all still here," Yakko said, and Charlie smiled.

"Yep, that's still true."

The rest of the day was spent conversing. They caught Charlie up with what they'd been up to all these years, and shared funny stories. Yakko pulled out his paddleball.

"You made me this, right?" He asked, handing it over to Charlie. He looked it over, before smiling and nodding.

"Yes, I did. You found an old one in a trash can at one point, and you were a natural. But, I didn't want you playing with some old thing you found in the trash, plus that one was half broken. So, I made you that one.

"I made all three of you guy's things at one point. Wakko's was his gag bag," Wakko pulled out the refilled bag, grinning. "And Dot's was her flower hair tie."

"It is?" Dot asked, pulling it out of her hair and looking at it. Charlie pulled back on of the peddles to revel a small note:

Dear Dot. You're right, flowers are cuter. Love, Mr. Charlie Sanders

"You were originally drawn with a bow," Charlie began as Dot put the tie back around her ears. "But, one day, it got into your mind that flowers were cuter than bows. So, you begged me to draw you a flower hair tie instead. And, I'll admit, you do look cuter with that."

"I get that all the time," Dot said, while Yakko and Wakko rolled their eyes. Their conversations continued until the sun started setting, and Leo finally came into the room.

"Charlie, I hate to interrupt, but it's almost dinner time," Charlie turned toward the Warners.

"I guess I'll see you guys soon."

"You can plan on that, Charlie," Yakko said.

"Thanks for visiting," He said as they all hugged. Charlie, with some help from Leo, saw them out to the door.

"See ya soon!" Dot said.

"It was nice visiting," Yakko added on.

"Goodbye!" Wakko called one last time as they shut the door behind them. They then pulled out another plot hole and went back to the tower.

"Ya know what, sibs," Yakko said as they got home. "Those t-shirts are right. Life is good."

"Yep," Wakko agreed. "It sure is."

* * *

_Yay mildly cheesy, yet still, happy ending! XD Again, thank you all so much for all the support! I don't really have any major story ideas in mind right now. Perhaps something will come to me, or I'll get inspired and write a one-shot. At the very least, I'll still be reading and reviewing other peoples stuff. So, until next time, this is MusicGeek764 signing off, saying "Goodnight everybody!" :D_


	22. Epilogue: Just Fine

_SURPRISE! :D Have an epilogue! ...That I wrote on Monday. (Hooray for holidays!) XD Yeah, this wasn't a part of the original draft, and I did mean for the story to end on chapter 21, but_ _frumouttamimind's comments about how quickly Yakko had adjusted to freedom caused me to start thinking. And thus plot bunny which lead to this. (Did anyone notice that I switched "Pieces" back to "in-progress" again on Monday?) But, this is it! There will be no more updates after this! So, enjoy, and thanks for all the support! :D (Oh, and we're in Yakko's POV)_

**HA! Fooled ya lawyers! Bet you thought you didn't have to worry about this story anymore! ...But, please don't sue me still!**

* * *

He couldn't hide it forever. But, by God, he was still going to try.

Yakko knew not telling anyone was stupid. He knew from past experiences that pushing away his emotions was a bad thing. But, he really wasn't this time. He was, with some reluctance, talking to Scratchy on doctor's orders. He just didn't want to worry his sibs was all.

It had been about two weeks since the terror had come to an end, and Yakko had been acting like he was adjusting well to being free after three weeks of captivity. Sure, he did make some of the effects show; he jump at sudden noises, his temper was shorter, though he tried to keep it in check, and he was still adjusting to eating when he pleased (Wakko had been a huge help with the last one).

The nightmares, however, he'd been hiding. From everyone. They were nothing more than him remembering parts of what had happened, be it the actual kidnapping or the captivity, but the felt so real. Every morning Yakko was startled to find he was home and safe, and so were his sibs. Luckily, he didn't seem to be talking in his sleep, as his sibs seemed blissfully unaware of Yakko's night terrors. Not that he minded. He just wanted everything to get as close to normal as possible as soon as possible. The only change he welcomed was that they were now visiting Charlie weekly.

There were other things he hid from his sibs, such as the blanks. They didn't occur often enough that Scratchy felt like putting him back on medicine, so he decided not to tell them. He didn't want them worrying about him; they'd been through enough recently. He needed to be the strong one. So, he ignored everything, including the paranoia that seemed to say "it's not over yet", or the detached feeling he got when he saw everyone going about their lives. He just swallowed it down with a smile, and joked around like everyone expected him to act.

He walked back to the tower from one of Scratchy's sessions, shivering slightly as a breeze chilled him. It was still late summer, but the first signs of fall were approaching, even if seasons didn't change too much in Burbank. He figured Dot would be home by now, and he was already thinking of things they could do that evening. See a movie, run about the lot, play Plotz a visit...he smiled slightly, but even then, with no one around to see, it felt forced and unnatural.

He walked back into the tower. "Sibs?" He called out, but got no reply. He walked further into the tower, but saw no sign of anyone. "Wakko? Dot?" He tried again, but to no avail.

Panic set it. They were gone without a trace, and Yakko had no idea where they could be. He felt his heart pound in his chest, and his head darted from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of them. His mind became a maelstrom.

_They're gone! But where could they be? Something's happened to them again, I know it! They could be hurt, they could be scared, they could be...Someone took them, and I wasn't here to stop it. What kind of brother am I?_

"Sibs!" He cried out again, his voice cracking slightly. He turned his head to the right, expecting the metal walls of the tower, but instead saw an all-to-familiar park at dusk. He looked to his left, and saw the knotted old tree where it all began.

_This...This is impossible! This already happened, and I was inside just a second ago!_ It didn't matter what his brain told him, Yakko's eyes saw nothing but the park the night when all Hell broke loose. He could see Wakko hiding in the tree, Dot's retreating back as she ran for help, and a shadowed figure that, despite having his face obscured, Yakko knew with 100% certainty who it was.

He felt himself start to run, his legs almost working separate from his mind, but no matter where he ran, Yakko kept coming back to the place he started at. It felt like he was trapped in a giant fishbowl.

"Yakko!" Wakko's voice suddenly called out. Yakko turned towards the sound to see a very confused Wakko staring back at him. But, there was someone behind him, someone hidden in the shadows.

"Wakko! Look out!" Yakko cried, and started to run towards his brother, but everything suddenly went black.

* * *

"Do you think he's okay?"

"He should be. I didn't hit him that hard."

Yakko started to open his eyes at the sound of his sibling's voices, but at first saw nothing but stars.

"Hey, look! Stars!" Wakko cried out. _Right. When I see stars, so do others._

"That's good. It means he's waking up," Dot replied, then placed a hand on Yakko's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Huh? What?" Yakko muttered stupidly as his vision cleared. He was lying on the couch, back at the water tower, with a cool cloth on his forehead, and a blanket covering him. He sat up slowly, resting his back on the pillows that had been supporting his head. He looked up at his concerned sibling's faces.

"Wakko, Dot! You're okay!" Yakko exclaimed happily. "Where did you guys go?" The confusion on Wakko and Dot's faces grew.

"We were in the other room. Wakko was having me listen to a mix he just made," Dot said.

Wakko nodded before continuing. "We didn't hear you come in until you started yelling our names."

"But, I was outside! In the park!" Yakko said, and Wakko and Dot glanced at each other. "And it was dark out. What time is it? 8? 9?"

"It's 5:30," Dot deadpanned.

"You were only out for about five minutes," Wakko added.

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Yakko exclaimed, but then put some thought to it. "None of it does. I came home, couldn't find you two, got worried, and next thing I know, I'm back at the park, and..."

"Joel was there?" Wakko finished, and Yakko flinched slightly at the name before nodding.

Wakko and Dot looked at each other and at the same time said "Flashback."

"Huh?"

"You were having a flashback," Dot explains. "You were reliving the memory as though you were there. Scratchy warned us about them."

"Great, now I get to worry about PTSD," Yakko deadpanned.

"Actually, you don't have it yet. You haven't been showing symptoms for 30 days," Wakko said, and Yakko and Dot turned to look at him in surprise. "What? I read the pamphlet Scratchy gave us."

"You actually read that?" Dot says, looking a little shocked.

"You read?" Yakko deadpanned, and Wakko stuck his tongue out in response.

"Yes, I did. I was worried about you, Yakko. I still am worried about you. You act like everything is fine," Wakko said, and Dot nodded in agreement.

"Everything _is_ fine," Yakko said dismissively, but got a hard glare from his sibs in return.

"Yakko you were held captive for _three weeks_! No one could go through that and be 'fine' afterword!" Dot said. "Besides, we know about the nightmares."

"And the blanks, and the changes in your mood," Wakko added.

Yakko hung his head in defeat. "I can't keep anything from you guys, can I?" He said, chuckling slightly.

"Nope," Dot said, looking slightly smug, though the look fell quickly. "Yakko, you realize you can talk to us, right? I thought you knew that already."

"Yeah, I know, I know. I just didn't want to worry you guys," Yakko admitted.

"Well, we were already worried," Wakko said.

"And you hiding things kinda made it worse," Dot added.

"Ain't that ironic?" Yakko deadpanned, and grinned when it got a light chuckle out of his sibs. "But, the worst is over now," He said, and he suddenly felt better, like a weight he didn't even realize was there was suddenly removed from his chest.

"Yep!" Wakko replied, looking happy as a light score started up in the background.

"_Please_ don't start that 'Never Give Up Hope' song!' Dot said, exasperated, and the music quickly cut out.

"Fine," Wakko said, pouting slightly, but began laughing as Yakko ruffled his cap. And as Yakko gave his first genuine smile in weeks, he realized his lie was coming true. Everything was just fine.

* * *

_Again, thank you all for all the love you've given this story! You gave me 100 reviews for the first time ever! And I do read and appreciate every single review I get. (I actually haven't deleted a single review alert email I've ever gotten. They're all in a special folder in my email. XD) You all have really made sharing this story special. (Can't you hear the sappy music playing in the background? XD) Until next time this is MusicGeek764 signing off (for real this time!) saying "Goodnight everybody!" :D_


End file.
